Clean Virginia Waterways

We are just one month away from the final phase-out of EPS foam (also known as Styrofoam) food containers and cups. Starting July 1, 2026, they will be illegal in Virginia!! 👏
If you are a consumer, now is a great time to create a new habit and start bringing your own reusable container for leftovers when you go out to eat. This reduces waste and saves restaurants money. If your favorite restaurant is still using foam, (politely) make sure they are aware of the law.
If you work in the food service industry, visit our resource page: https://www.cleanvirginiawaterways.org/foam-phase-out
or listen to the webinar we recently did with Virginia Green Travel and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2320320734314681261
We are looking forward to a Virginia with less litter and marine debris, this is a step in the right direction!

Congratulations Louisiana!! Several states now have balloon release bans, including Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Florida and Hawaii. Which state do you think will ban balloon releases next??

Balloon releases will soon be illegal in Louisiana. The state legislature passed a bill this week that prohibits the intentional outdoor release of Mylar and latex helium balloons. READ MORE ⬇️

Clean Virginia Waterways will be at the Old Beach Art & Eco Market in the ViBe Creative District tomorrow morning from 9am to noon. Shop eco-friendly vendors, local artists, grab some locally grown produce and stop by and meet our summer interns Kat and Lily!
Got balloons to dispose of? Bring them to us and we'll add them to our Balloon Mission Inc balloon collection bin for recycling.
Sign up to be a member of Team Turtle and we'll gift you a reusable shopping bag or reusable produce bag for your day at the market (only if you need one of course). Look for our beautiful blue tent on Cypress Ave. between 18th and 19th Street. See you in the morning!!

Please meet Clean Virginia Waterways' third summer intern, Kathryn Martin!
Kathryn is a graduate student in the Duke Environmental Leadership Master of Environmental Management program. After more than ten years in the U.S. Navy as a Weapons Systems Officer flying the F/A-18 Super Hornet, she is now pursuing a career in environmental management and conservation. Originally from Newnan, Georgia, Kathryn earned a degree in Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her longtime interest in conservation and the outdoors inspired her transition into environmental management. Kathryn currently lives in Virginia Beach with her rescue English Setter, Winston. Outside of work and school, she enjoys gardening, fishing, horseback riding, cooking, and spending time at the beach.
Thank you for your service Kat! We are thrilled that we get to be a part of your transition to environmental management work!

An amazing shoutout to the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan in a Bay Journal article about research 🔬
We are proud and honored to be co-authors on the Virginia Reduction Plan, and are looking forward to the next 5-year plan being released soon!

Study: Tiny bacteria could ‘eat’ water-borne microplastics A study published in 2025 in the journal FEMS Microbiology Ecology found that certain microbes that colonize microplastics have the potential to not only break down plastic but also remove

Clean Virginia Waterways is excited to be hosting a Virginia Sea Grant summer intern, Lily Hoffman!
Lily is a rising senior at the University of Mary Washington. She majors in environmental sustainability and policy as well as political science. Previously, she worked for the University's Office of Sustainability as an Events and Outreach intern, and she currently serves on the President's Council of Sustainability as Student Co-chair. Lily was part of an undergraduate research team studying the correlations between socioeconomic factors and concentrations of metals in Fredericksburg City soil. In the fall, she plans to continue studying environmental justice by starting an individual research capstone project. She is a Virginia Beach Native, and is very passionate about maintaining clean and safe beaches. In her free time, Lily loves being outdoors, and she runs collegiate cross country and track for UMW.
Lily is excited to be our new Plastic Pollution Prevention Intern for the summer and we are excited to have her!

We've partnered with the Prince William Environmental Management Division of Public Works to set up bins! While we still say finding environmentally-friendly alternatives to balloons is the best way to celebrate, if you do find yourself with balloons, be sure to pop n'drop them in a special balloon collection bin like this one! That way, they won't become and , where animals could easily confuse them for food!
https://www.pwcva.gov/news/pwc-installs-balloon-recycling-bins-now-located-dsb-central-library
Thanks, Prince William County!

Find a balloon collection bin location near you or donate to help us grow this program throughout Virginia. https://www.cleanvirginiawaterways.org/balloon-recycling

We're helping your favorite restaurants phase out foam ahead of July 1's ban so they can find alternative materials seamlessly, sustainably 🌳, and affordably! Last week, Clean Virginia Waterways joined a with Virginia Green Travel Alliance and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to answer all your questions about the foam ban! Find more information on our Foam Phaseout page at https://www.cleanvirginiawaterways.org/foam-phase-out

Please welcome our new Outreach Intern, Riley Keogh! Riley will be expanding Clean Virginia Waterways' programming to Northern Virginia this summer through amazing activities! If you see around, stop by and say hi!