General Assembly update: Plastic bills in committee

A couple plastic bills are coming up tomorrow in Virginia's Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources committee. One we support, one we oppose.

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A couple plastic bills are coming up tomorrow in Virginia’s Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources committee. One we support, one we oppose. We support eliminating the most harmful types of single use plastic and we oppose false solutions that turn plastics into fuels. It is critical we address the plastic pollution crisis and tomorrow’s committee may determine how we decide to do that.

The bills below will be heard tomorrow (1/24) in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources committee, and we urge you to let the committee know where you stand. 

SUPPORT SB 1012 (Edwards)

Bans single use plastic at Virginia state agencies and gives localities the authority to do the same.

Single use plastics hurt our environment. They are among the most littered items in Virginia and are among the most harmful to wildlife and the environment. Due to their abundance, size and appearance, animals are killed or injured when mistaking these items for food or becoming tangled in single use plastic litter. The best way to stop this issue is to cut it off at the source and eliminate the most harmful single use products. State agencies should lead Virginia in reducing plastic consumption and waste. Localities should have the ability to do the same.

We support SB 1012 and any tools we can give agencies and localities to combat plastic pollution at the source.

OPPOSE SB 1365 (Lewis)

Prohibits localities from banning “advanced recycling” aka plastic to fuel facilities their community.

“Advanced recycling” is a false solution from the plastic industry that doesn’t actually recycle anything. When most of us think of recycling, we think of mechanical recycling- turning a bottle into a bottle.

“Advanced recycling” is far from turning a bottle into a bottle. This process turns plastic into fuel which is then burnt like other fossil fuels, warming our planet. Plastics to fuel is not recycling at all. In fact, it further deepens our reliance on both fossil fuels and plastic at the same time.

SB 1435 (Lewis) will prohibit localities from banning or preventing plastic to fuel facilities in their community. We are opposed to plastics to fuel as a solution, the burning of more fossil fuels and prohibiting localities with the same concerns from taking action.

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