The Office of Sustainability presented a Richmond City Council committee this week with information on three proposals set to be considered during Earth Month (aka April).
They include a plastic bag tax, a balloon release ordinance and a polystyrene ban. Two of those are or will be required by existing state law — more on that later.
The ordinances are designed to help the city meet waste reduction targets set in planning documents like Richmond300 and RVAGreen2050, according to Sustainability Manager Tara Worden.
“Our overarching goal is ambitious, but necessary, to reduce Richmond's overall landfill waste by 25% by 2030 while advancing environmental justice and creating economic benefits for all residents,” Worden told the governmental operations committee.
Reducing the amount of single-use plastics in the capital city would likely result in less litter accumulation in streets, vegetated areas and waterways, as well as the city’s storm drain system.
“These materials break down into micro-plastics that then enter the James River and the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” Worden told councilors. “And DPU regularly observes how plastic waste clogs stormwater infrastructure during heavy rain events.”
The proposals come as state recycling rates have declined in recent years and Central Virginia stares down the upper limits of its existing landfill system. Sustainability director Laura Thomas told council members on Wednesday that Central Virginia will likely need a new landfill within the next two decades.
“There's a 10-year window for all of the local jurisdictions to agree upon, decide, implement and stand up a new landfill,” Thomas said. “So it's really important for us to make sure that we're mitigating the contribution of our community to that problem.”
A new landfill in Cumberland County is already in the permitting process. The project, called Green Ridge, has faced opposition from county residents.
Richmond is allowed to implement a tax on plastic bags from restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores and other establishments under a state law passed in 2020.
Worden told council members a 5-cent surcharge for each plastic bag would be split between the city and business owners. The city’s money would be used to fund recycling programs, educational materials and reusable bag giveaways for SNAP and WIC beneficiaries.
Cities and counties that have already implemented the tax say it’s been effective. Fairfax County said 1.6 million fewer plastic bags were used in the county in the first year of the tax — while Charlottesville and Albemarle County both reported thousands in monthly revenue from their levy.
Worden said an analysis of other cities with the fee suggest Richmond could bring in nearly $400,000 in revenue yearly from it, at a cost of about $2.12 per resident.
The other two ordinances are based on existing or pending state laws — the proposals would bring the city in line with the state.
One of those is a penalty for intentional non-biodegradable balloon releases, a state law implemented in 2021. Violators are civilly fined $25 per balloon; that money goes into a state wildlife management fund.
The expanded polystyrene (commonly referred to as the brand name Styrofoam, a different product) takeout container ban is also an expected statewide measure, but it hasn’t been implemented.
The current language — located in the state budget bill — requires chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to find other takeout container materials by July 2025. All other restaurants would need to follow suit by July 2026.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin amended the relevant language in his latest round of changes to the two-year spending bill, respectively pushing those dates back to 2028 and 2030. Should the language remain in the final budget, it will take effect on July 1.
Whether the city is able to enforce its own polystyrene ban will depend on state legislators’ actions at the Virginia State Capitol on Wednesday, when they review the governor’s actions on roughly 916 bills.
The three proposals will likely be introduced for consideration at city council in April, shortly after Earth Day (April 22).
