Background

Why does Litter Free Virginia exist? Frankly, the zero waste movement in Virginia needs a little structure. There are so many organizations, legislators and citizens that are fed up with litter in their respective communities, but they’re having trouble talking to each other (it’s a big state!). It’s likely that a handful of similar litter prevention bills will be independently introduced at the next legislative session. Our mission is to keep you informed of these bills, and to let you know if and when these bills will be voted on so you can contact local legislators.

History

Plastic pollution at Little Hunting Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River in Alexandria, VA. Credit: Clean Fairfax.

The last few years have been full of big wins for LFVA, though not without a few setbacks. Through the collective effort of the environmental community, the Virginia litter tax was raised in 2020–for the first time in 43 years–and localities within the Commonwealth were granted the authority to institute a $0.05 fee for single use plastic bags. To date, nine localities have instituted bag fees and several others are discussing and considering adopting ordinances. In 2021, intentional balloon releases were made illegal for corporations and individuals ages 13 and older. That year also saw a significant increase in the penalties for littering, though we also experienced a significant setback when a petrochemical industry-backed bill to reclassify “advanced recycling” as a manufacturing process was signed into law in Virginia. Environmental legislation lulled in 2022; multiple bills were introduced and have been tabled for later discussion, including multiple moves for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging regulations in the Commonwealth. Additionally, the 2020 vote to phase out all expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam containers from food vendors was amended and delayed another five years. In 2023, attempts to ban single-use plastic and EPS foam products were unsuccessful. This session was highlighted by the Governor’s withdrawal of Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI. Most recently, the EPS foam ban was bumped back up following the 2024 session. The two part phase-out in food vending will take place in 2025 and 2029.

To read about all of the bills that have passed, be sure to check out our Legislation Tracker. These were huge wins for Virginia, but the work is not over. Our focus for remains on upholding the current progress we’ve achieved and pushing back against chemical recycling operations encroaching on the Commonwealth. Don’t worry – we haven’t forgotten about bottles, cigarette butts, food waste, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about new challenges for waste reduction, but the scientific community overwhelmingly supports policies that limit the spread of single use plastics. The litter problems in Virginia aren’t slowing down and neither are we!