General, News

Virginia Bans Foam Containers At Large Restaurant Chains

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Dominic Castillo
10:38 pm

March 11, 2021

More good news for the environment as the legislature in the commonwealth passes on to the governor a ban on large chain restaurants using foam takeout containers.

Bill HB 1902 has passed in both the Senate and House of Delegates, and prohibits chain restaurants with 20 or more establishments from using polystyrene containers. Polystyrene takes an estimated 500 years to break down, and is thought by scientists to leach carcinogenic agents into the environment.

A vendor that can prove the switch to more sustainable containers would cause financial hardship can request from its locality a one year exemption from the rule. From the bill:

A food vendor granted such an exemption may reapply to the locality before the expiration of the exemption, and the locality may grant an additional exemption from the provisions of subsection A not to exceed one year for each such reapplication if the food vendor demonstrates a continuing undue economic hardship at the time of reapplication to the satisfaction of the locality.

As of January 1, twelve other states and D.C. have banned foam food containers in their restaurants.