Call to Action: Bill to ban polystyrene cups and takeout containers is on the ropes.
We need your help. Our bill to ban polystyrene cups and takeout containers (HB533) passed out of the Virginia House of Delegates and nearly made it through the State Senate. But at the eleventh hour, several Senators added an amendment that requires the bill pass again next year before it can become law.
Our bill to ban polystyrene cups and takeout containers (HB533) passed out of the Virginia House of Delegates and nearly made it through the State Senate. But at the eleventh hour, several Senators added an amendment that requires the bill pass again next year before it can become law.
This makes no sense.
We have one more shot — in conference committee — to strip this delay and ban a type of pollution we’ve known for decades we shouldn’t be using.
Each conference committee consists of three legislators from the House and three from the Senate. Call conference committee members to express your support for HB533 to ban foam cups and takeout containers with no delays. You can also thank patrons Del. Carr and Krizek (who are on the conference committee) for their leadership on this issue and urge them to stand strong in rejecting the Senate amendment.
Let’s be clear — polystyrene is the problem.
These cups and takeout containers take up to 500 years to decompose. That means every piece of it ever created is still out there, breaking into smaller and smaller pieces.
We know from other states that recycling this stuff doesn’t work. And even if it did, successful recycling programs rely on collection. What makes us think that all the polystyrene containers littering Virginia’s streams that weren’t put into garbage cans will suddenly be thrown into recycling cans?
The right thing to do here is to stop using products that pollute our environment and ban foam cups and takeout containers now.
HB 533 Conference Members:
Senator Marsden (D- 37)
Capitol: (804) 698-7537
District: (571) 249-3037
Senator Hashmi (D- 10)
Capitol/ District: (804) 698-7510
Delegate Ware (R- 65)
Capitol: (804) 698-1065
District: (804) 598-6696
Delegate Krizek (D- 44) (Co-Patron of bill)
Capitol: (804) 698-1044
District: (703) 688-2983
Delegate Carr (D- 69) (Lead patron on the bill)
Capitol/ District: (804) 698-1069
Senator Ruff (R- 15)
Capitol: (804) 698-7515
District: (434) 374-5129
Thank you,
Elly Boehmer, State Director
Authors
Elly Boehmer
State Director, Environment Virginia
A former canvass director and organizer with Impact, Elly now directs Environment Virginia's efforts to promote clean air, clean water and open spaces in Virginia. Elly lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she enjoys gardening, photography, hiking and rollerblading with her dog.
