October 3 2022

Virginia Marine Debris Summit

The 2022 Virginia Marine Debris Summit was held in person at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach on September 27 and 28, 2022. The Summit was hosted and co-sponsored by: the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University, and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.

“Marine Debris” is the scientific name for all the “plastic pollution” that is floating in the ocean. Since the majority of marine debris (about 80%) comes from inland sources, the entire summit focused on preventing consumer debris, such as bottles, food wrappers, cigarette butts, bags, balloons and the other common and harmful sources of litter and debris.

Person at podium — Cristi Lawton, Executive Director of Keep Virginia Beautiful, is at the podium.

Because litter is one of the primary focus areas of the mission of Keep Virginia Beautiful, it was a pleasure to spend two days in lectures and discussions with speakers from a variety of organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as state programs such as the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and others. Cristi Lawton, Executive Director of Keep Virginia Beautiful, was also a speaker.

Before reporting on the substance of the material and information presented, it’s important to mention a little about the Summit itself.

Those who hosted and sponsored the Summit really practice what they preach. The Virginia Marine Debris Summit was certified by Virginia Green as a Certified Green Event. The Virginia Green Travel Alliance is a partnership program that encourages environmentally conscious practices in tourism. It was suggested ahead of time that attendees bring their own refillable water bottle, travel coffee mug, reusable cloth napkins and eating utensils. When you’re offering breakfast and lunch to people at a conference for two days, reducing the number of utensils and napkins used makes an impact, even though all of the products used at the Virginia Aquarium are either recyclable or compostable.

People getting food from table — Attendees brought their own reusable utensils and napkins in an effort to decrease waste at the event.

The Summit also had vendors with eco-friendly and sustainable products offered for sale. Earthy Child uses plastic grocery bags and donated yarn for knitting and crocheting bags, hats, clothes, and mermaids. We also met the President of Hamilton Perkins Collection, who upcycles vinyl billboards into beautiful and fashionable bags of all sizes and shapes. There was a table from a church ministry that offers tote bags, bibs, and purses made from discarded plastic through Peace Cycle, and one from Eco Maniac Company, offering many reusable alternatives to single-use plastics and Fair-Trade gifts.

A main takeaway for everyone should be that litter on land becomes a problem for the ocean. We need to stop littering our landscapes and roads, avoid using single use plastic, and do a better job of recycling. In the meantime, we need to clean up the litter that is already there to prevent it from causing more problems in the water.

Next week’s blog will get into the data that was presented and some actions that are being taken to address the problem of plastic pollution. Check back next Monday for the follow-up article.