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.

June 2024

Welcome to the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network (VPPPN). The newsletter will continue to come out monthly. Meetings will occur bi-monthly. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 18 at 2pm on Zoom.

In this edition:

Next Meeting is Tuesday, June 18 at 2 pm: We will have special guest Tamela Trussell with Move Past Plastics.
EPA Sets Limits on "Forever Chemicals" in Drinking Water
Keeping It Beachy Clean in Virginia. Beach
Creating a Throw-Away Culture
Plastic Lawsuits are Gaining Steam
It's National Fish and Boating Week Reminders
Reduce Plastic Tip of the Month

June Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Meeting

The Tuesday, June 18, 2024 Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network will have special guest Tamela Trussell with Move Past Plastics. This presentation follows the history of PFAS beginning with their creation, uses, harms, lawsuits, and regulations. Sources and distribution of PFAS are outlined. Human and environmental harms are noted and potential solutions are addressed.

The meeting will be available on zoom:

https://longwood-edu.zoom.us/j/95309706810

Zoom Link

EPA Sets Limits on 'Forever Chemicals' in

Drinking Water

After a long delay, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized enforceable nationwide limits in drinking water for six per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, highly persistent toxic chemicals known by the shorthand term PFAS.

According to the EPA, the new limits should reduce PFAS exposure for about 100 million people nationwide who rely on public drinking water systems, preventing thousands of deaths and reducing tens of thousands of serious illnesses.

Read the Full Article Here

Keeping It Beachy Clean in Virginia Beach

Earlier this year, Keep It Beachy Clean, a program of Clean Virginia Waterways, partnered with Lynnhaven River NOW and Tidewater Master Naturalists to build four Beach Toy Recycling Boxes and place them in the resort area of Virginia Beach.

Keep It Beachy Clean is a litter-prevention program that was formed in 2015, with the mission of targeting beach visitors about not littering, in a positive and fun way. The Beach Toy Recycling Program was presented to and approved by the VB Resort Advisory Commission (RAC) in early 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic and a brief inactive period for KIBC.

The four boxes were built by a LRN volunteer then distributed to two VB elementary schools for decorating. We worked with VB Lifesaving Service, VB Beach Ambassadors, VB Resort Management and Beach Operations to find appropriate placement of the boxes and continued monitoring for the summer.

Through social media and news stories, we are reaching out to the public to donate their gently used toys to the boxes.

We hope that as the program grows, visiting families will learn about the program and opt to reuse plastic toys rather than buy new ones. We also hope that toys that are left on the beach will be placed in the boxes for reuse rather than ending up in a trash can. And ultimately, we hope that the Beach Toy Recycle Program will teach kids (and their parents) the importance of reducing and reusing.

In the near future, Keep It Beachy Clean will make an informational kit for schools, communities, businesses and others to build and implement their own Beach Toy Recycling Boxes. For more information, visit https://www.keepitbeachyclean.org/beach-toy-recycling

Creating a Throw-Away Culture

This reporting from NPR discusses how the plastics industry has deeply ingrained a throw-away culture in modern society since the 1950s. Initially marketed as durable, plastics became widely promoted as cheap and disposable to boost sales. Despite early recognition that recycling would not suffice to manage plastic waste, industry efforts focused on promoting recycling over reducing plastic production.

Recognition of this problem is increasing which has spurred legal action and a push for a global treaty to implement solutions to plastic pollution. Read or listen to the story for all the information!

Read the Full Article Here

Plastic Lawsuits are Gaining Steam

This article discusses the growing number of lawsuits aimed at addressing plastic pollution. Over the past several years, citizens, environmental groups, and state attorneys general have filed nearly 60 lawsuits against companies in the plastics industry. These lawsuits accuse companies of misleading claims about recycling and contributing significantly to environmental damage through plastic waste.

These lawsuits highlight broader concerns about the petrochemical industry's role in the plastic waste crisis, with allegations that companies have falsely promoted recycling as a solution while continuing to produce large amounts of plastic. The litigation underscores the lack of comprehensive federal policy on recycling and the need for more effective waste management solutions.

Read the study here!

It is National Fish and Boating Week!

Here are some reminders from NOAA

Lost or discarded fishing gear can cause huge problems for wildlife, the habitats they depend on, and the economy.

This week is National Fish and Boating Week, so here are three tips you can take while out on the water to reduce the amount of debris that enters the ocean, Great Lakes, and other waterways:

1. Bring all of your trash back to shore for proper disposal in trash cans or recycling bins. Avoid creating marine debris and extra waste by packing food and drinks in reusable containers before you go out on the water!

2. Have a storm plan in place unique to your type of gear and marine environment. Be sure anyone who fishes or farms with you knows how to execute the plan.

3. Consider recycling used line in appropriate containers at participating locations. Many docks, piers, boat launches, and fishing supply shops have bins to collect monofilament for recycling.

More 'On The Water ' Tips Here

Reduce Plastic Tip of the Month

Recycle plastic bags, clean wrap and film

Look into how to recycle plastic bags, wrap, and film in your area. These items are recyclable, but they cannot go in your household recycling bin.

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, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and Eco Maniac Company.