The mission of the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network (VPPPN) is to promote and facilitate coordination, collaboration, and communication among groups working to reduce plastic pollution throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

March 2024

Welcome to the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network (VPPPN).

In this edition:

There is no March VPPPN meeting
Next Meeting is Tuesday, April 23 at 2 pm
Article: Glitter Has a Microplastics Problem
Reduce Plastic Tip of the Month
Article: Proposed Study of State Litter Tax
Norfolk's Waste Wizard
Employment Opportunity ODU
Summer Internship-Clean Fairfax
Fairfax County Cleanups
Keep Suffolk Beautiful Cleanups

NO March Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Meeting

Glitter Has a Microplastics Problem

One Company Says It Has a Fix

“Bioglitter” is made out of a cellulose core instead of plastic, which its creator chose for its potential to safely degrade in freshwater habitats.

A bit of glitter is like a bottle of champagne on New Year’s Eve: It’s all fun and games until the next morning. Traditional glitter is a microplastic, which means most of it ends up in bodies of water after a single use.

Is Bioglitter a real solution or greenwashing? What do you think?

Read full article here

Reduce Plastic Tip of the Month

Replace paper towels (that come wrapped in plastic) with re-useable cellulose sponges or rags.

Del. Paul Krizek proposes study of state litter tax - and references the work of

Clean Virginia Waterways

The fee’s been adjusted once since its 1976 implementation.

Virginia lawmakers could order the state government to take a closer look at the litter tax this year.

House Joint Resolution 35, sponsored by Del. Paul Krizek (D–Fairfax), would order the departments of Taxation and Environmental Quality to lead a study on solid waste and recycling streams, market conditions and economic opportunities for recycling, and the potential effects of adjusting the tax for inflation.

The resolution references a 2023 study by Clean Virginia Waterways, a statewide nonprofit based at Longwood University, which found that Virginia localities bring in the least revenue from the litter tax than any other state with a similar policy.

Note: this bill did not pass this year but this great article features CVW's work.

Read full article here

City of Norfolk Launches New

Waste Wizard to Their Web Site

Norfolk Waste Wizard

Recycle or Trash? If you're not sure how to properly dispose of something, just ask the Waste Wizard!

Search any item from aerosol cans to yoga mats and find out which bin to put it in.

Check out Waste Wizard here

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

Project Coordinator - Marine Debris, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA)

Job Description: This is a 12 month grant funded position, continuation beyond 12 months will be based on project funding availability. The Project Coordinator will be an employee of the ODU Research Foundation. The VMDRP Community Action Coalition project is a project funded by NOAA through Virginia Sea Grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The aim of the project is to support implementation of the VMDRP through establishing a coalition that brings together the concerns, interests, resources, and capacities of stakeholders across multiple sectors (state and local government, nonprofits, businesses, education, and communities) to undertake coordinated activities to achieve VMDRP goals related to derelict fishing gear (DFG) and abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs). Project activities will focus on marine debris in Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia.

More information

Summer Internship

Clean Fairfax is looking for two paid summer interns for 2024 to help support plastic bag-free farmers markets and complete other field work.

If you know of any great students looking for a summer job, please send them our way. Start date is negotiable and we could hire one intern soon to prepare for the summer. Feel free to share.

Job description and more info

Fairfax County Spring Watershed Cleanup April Dates Announced

Registration for the annual Fairfax County Spring Watershed Cleanup in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Fairfax County Park Authority is now available at www.nature.org/fairfaxcleanup. This year’s cleanup will take place over several dates at over 20 Fairfax County Park locations. We need nearly 600 volunteers to help clean up plastic bottles, cans and other debris.

Registration for the 2024 cleanups is now open.

Click the button below for more information about these cleanup dates:

Go here for locations and registration

Cleanup Opportunities

Keep Suffolk Beautiful has 2 clean-ups coming up soon:

More Information

The VPPPN monthly eNewsletter wants

YOUR input!

If you would like to have your upcoming event (or publication) mentioned in the monthly VPPPN eNewsletter, write a paragraph with the following information, and email it to VirginiaPPPN@gmail.com.

Are you reading a book about plastics, environmental justice, ocean sustainability and health or another related topic? What about a podcast series relevant to plastic pollution or marine debris? We want to know so we can share that information with other VPPPN members!

FORMAT: Submissions to the VPPPN monthly eNewsletter must be sent as a Word or Pages document or as text in an e-mail. Word limit: 150. You can also send us a photo, logo, or flyer as a JPG.

CONTENT: Include the title, time, date and place of the event or program, and a phone number (with area code) or e-mail address of a contact person. State if the program is free or has a fee; has an age requirement or other restrictions; or has a registration deadline or welcomes drop-ins. Also include the name of the group sponsoring the event, and a website (if available) for more information.

Support the

Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network

As our network grows, so do our expenses. Please consider a donation to support the VPPPN if you have found it to be valuable to you. We would appreciate your support of $10, $20 or more. Member organizations that donate $100 or more will have the opportunity to add their logo and website link to our website.

Donations by credit card (Master Card and VISA) can be made using the link below. All donations to support the VPPPN are managed through our partner, Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University. THANK YOU!

Support VPPPN

The Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network is a Program of Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and Eco Maniac Company.