VIRGINIA â State agencies across the Commonwealth of Virginia are being challenged to phase out single-use plastics, according to a new executive order from Gov. Ralph Northam.
Executive Order 77, which was signed by the governor on Mar. 23, targets the state’s reliance on single-use plastics by eliminating their use at state agencies, colleges, and universities, imposing a short-term ban on several common, disposable plastics and requiring the phasing out of other items by 2025.
How the executive order will make an impact
That’s only four years away, so how exactly is this order going to change things?Â
First of all, the order only focuses on the executive branch state agencies, including state institutions of higher education. It does not include private owned businesses and schools, so plastic isnât completing going away.Â