Youngkin rolls back Northam single-use plastic restrictions

April 9, 2022
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday ended restrictions on single-use plastics at state agencies, colleges and universities.

The Republican governor signed an executive order rolling back a 2021 order from Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam that instituted the prohibition on most disposable plastic bags, food service containers, water bottles, and straws and cutlery at executive branch agencies.

Youngkin’s order, titled “recognizing the value of recycling and waste reduction,” also directed his administration to take several steps to encourage recycling at state agencies and in the state parks system.

It directed two state agencies to work with “large-scale suppliers of food” to identify ways to reduce food waste. And it directed a task force to examine ways to encourage new “recycling-related” businesses to locate in Virginia.

“We need to conserve our natural resources, reduce the amount of recyclable materials and waste that goes into landfills, and promote new clean energy jobs here in Virginia,” the order said.

 “Too often in the past, Virginia has been presented with a false choice between saving our environment and growing our economy. The growing market for post-consumer recyclables demonstrates that we can do both,” said Governor Youngkin. “We need to bridge that disconnect to better conserve our natural resources, reduce waste that goes out to landfills and promote new clean energy jobs here in Virginia. We should be focusing our resources and energy on providing a cleaner supply of recyclable materials.” 

The Coalition for Consumer Choices — a group representing businesses, retailers, manufacturers and others who opposed Northam’s ban — announced its support for Youngkin’s order. The group said Northam’s order would have been costly and reduced choices for healthy and safely packaged food products.

Northam’s order, issued in March 2021, gave state agencies and higher education institutions 120 days to stop buying, selling or using certain single-use plastics, including foodservice items. And it called for a total phase-out of all nonmedical single-use plastics and expanded polystyrene objects by 2025.

Youngkin rolled out his executive order during an appearance Thursday morning at a recycling center in Chester.

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