Virginia is inching closer to making some of the most common pieces of litter a thing of the past.
In 2021, Virginia lawmakers passed House Bill 1902. The legislation aims to prohibit the “dispensing by a food vendor of prepared food to a customer in a single-use expanded polystyrene food service container.” In other words, the bill will ban all food vendors from offering Styrofoam containers to customers.
The bulk of the ban will be deployed in two separate phases. Starting on July 1, 2025, food vendors with 20 or more Virginia locations must stop using Styrofoam containers. As the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality noted, “all food vendors will need to comply” by July 1, 2026. Any vendor in violation of the law will be fined $50 for each day that it continues to provide Styrofoam.
However, food vendors may be granted exemptions of up to one year if they can prove that compliance with the ban would impose undue economic hardship. These vendors may also reapply for additional exemptions before the original term expires.
Following the original passing of the bill, Oceana Field Campaigns Manager Caroline Wood emphasized the significance of the ban and the positive impact it would have on the environment.
“Virginia is sending a clear message: We don’t want plastic polluting our beaches and harming marine life, and we need policies that reduce the production and use of single-use plastics,” Wood said in a statement. “The General Assembly has taken meaningful action that will reduce the amount of plastic entering our waterways and help protect coastal communities and economies.”
Styrofoam can have a significant negative impact on the environment due to its non-biodegradable nature, its tendency to pollute both land and water, and the potential to harm wildlife. Since Styrofoam is unable to break down naturally, it can remain in the environment for hundreds, even thousands of years.
This can play a major role in landfill overflow and the littering of our land and waterways. When Styrofoam wears down from the elements, it can release harmful chemicals such as styrene and contribute to microplastic pollution.
Bills like HB 1902 can go a long way toward cleaning up our environment and making a cooler and brighter future possible.
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