Clean Virginia Waterways

Research and Publications

Thanks to grants and donations, all of Clean Virginia Waterways’ publications are free to download. If you find our research useful and valuable, please consider becoming a supporter! Please contact cleanups@cleanvirginiawaterways.org for details on how YOU can support CVW!

Opportunities to Reduce Plastic Pollution: Policy Recommendations & Best Practices for the Virginia Litter Fund

June 2023. 36 pages. Free download.
June 2023. 1-page summary. Free Download.

Clean Virginia Waterways wrote an in-depth examination of the funding sources (including the Virginia Litter Tax) for the Virginia Litter Control and Recycling Fund, as well as a comparative analysis of similar initiatives in other states and localities across the nation. This comprehensive analysis aims to provide policymakers, government officials, nonprofits, and citizens with valuable insights, best practices, and lessons learned from different approaches to tackling litter issues.

The report includes key findings (including that Virginia generates the lowest revenue per capita of any state using a litter tax system) and recommendations.

The report was supported by a grant from the Ocean Conservancy’s small grant program.

Opportunities to Reduce Plastic Pollution

Economic Impact of Plastic Pollution Literature Review

June 2024. 23 pages. Free download.

This literature review explores the economic impact of plastic pollution in waterways. It was commissioned by CVW and CZM with a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Terry Clower, PhD of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University was contracted to write this literature review, given his expertise and previous research with CZM.

This literature review has been identified as an action in the 2021-2025 Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan (VMDRP), a road map to reduce plastic pollution and marine debris in Virginia, authored by CVW and CZM.

VMDRP Action 1.2.1.2.: Analyze ecological and economic impacts of litter and marine debris to Virginia’s tourism revenue, recreational spending, property values, and economically important species.

Polystyrene is “off the menu”

An editorial by Clean Virginia Waterways staff (Katie Register and Zach Huntington) explores how food and beverage containers made from polystyrene will be phased out of use by restaurants in Virginia. Thanks to a 2021 law passed by the Virginia General Assembly, restaurants are required to phase out their use of containers made of polystyrene. For larger restaurant chains, the change will begin on July 1, 2025. Small restaurants will have an additional year.

The editorial appeared in the Roanoke Times, Richmond Times Dispatch, Bristol Herald Courier, and other newspapers throughout Virginia.

June 2024. Free download.

Development & Implementation of Marine Debris Reduction Strategies...or "What CVW did in late 2021 & 2022!"

May 2023. 30 pages. Free download.

From tiny microplastics to large abandoned boats, the sources of marine debris in Virginia were addressed by Clean Virginia Waterways and its partners through this year-long grant from the Virginia Coastal Management Program (FY21 Grant: Oct 1, 2021 to Sept 30, 2022).

Highlights:

Increased public awareness and facilitated data-based policy decisions to reduce plastic pollution and marine debris.
Statewide public perception survey of Virginia voters
Virginia Marine Debris Summit, workshops and webinars
Training in Community-Based Social Marketing provided to partners
Targeted research on single-use plastic bags, abandoned vessels, balloons & more
Monitoring of Fisherman Island for marine debris
Regional work with Mid-Atlantic partners
Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network & several targeted websites

Public Perception Survey: Plastic Pollution

September 2022. 8 pages. Free download.
May 2023. 285 pages! Free Download.

Virginia voters are concerned about plastic getting into our rivers, bays and ocean, and they support action to decrease littered plastic bags, bottles, cups, food containers and other plastic items according to a new statewide survey by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM), Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University (CVW), and OpinionWorks.

The survey explored the perceptions and attitudes of Virginia’s voters about several problems, and measured voters’ support for policies that have been adopted in other states:
• Deposits on beverage bottles and cans
• Requirements to decrease plastic packaging
• Shifting the costs of recycling from taxpayers to the producers of the plastic waste
• Laws to reduce the use of polystyrene, plastic bags, and other commonly littered items.

This survey reveals that Virginia voters are deeply concerned about plastic pollution, and are ready to support policies to decrease plastic pollution, especially the plastic that ends up in the ocean. Data from this survey will assist in crafting successful behavior change campaigns as well as public policies.

OpinionWorks, in partnership with CZM and CVW, conducted a representative statewide sampling of 901 Virginia registered voters March 8-13, 2022. This survey sample has a potential error margin of ±3.3 at the 95% confidence level. Voters were interviewed online and on wireless and landline telephones. This survey represented all areas of the Commonwealth and matched the profile of the registered voter population including gender, race and ethnicity, and age. The survey respondents were equally represented by political affiliation-- Republican, Democrat and independent. As a follow-up, the researchers invited a cross-section of voters into deeper, one-on-one interviews to better understand their attitudes and reasoning around these issues.

Data from Litter Cleanups: Leading to Solutions. A CVW Marine Litter Report.

Sept 2022. 4 pages. Free download.

There are many questions about where litter comes from, how it travels through watersheds, and where it ends up. Data can help
us understand what the most abundant sources of litter are in your local community, in Virginia, in the United States, and in the entire world. With data, we can prioritize prevention strategies and shape future actions.

Read about WHY and HOW we collect data during our statewide cleanup events, and how you can contribute!

2021-2025 Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan

November 2021. 37 pages. Free download.

This updated Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan (VMDRP) for 2021-2025 is a roadmap, planning and monitoring tool, and a common framework for collaboration that will lead us to cleaner and healthier coastal waters and oceans.

Plastic pollution and marine debris are of local, regional, national, and global concern, so the Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program took a leadership role in creating the first VMDRP in 2014–making Virginia the first state on the east coast to have a Plan in place to reduce marine debris and only the second in the US. Now, this updated Plan further strategically addresses this problem through policies, laws, research, behavior-change, and action on all levels. It establishes a comprehensive framework for strategic action and identifies priorities to reduce the impacts of marine debris on Virginia’s coasts, people, and wildlife.

Virginia Abandoned & Derelict Vessel Work Group Full Report and Summary.

June 2022. 44 pages. Free download
June 2022. 4-page Summary. Free download.

In 2021-2022, CVW and the VA Coastal Zone Management Program led a large collaborative research project, and developed recommendations to address abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) in Virginia’s waterways. The report summarizes the discussions of the Virginia ADV Work Group comprised of federal, state and industry representatives. The report was reviewed and approved by state natural resource agency leadership.

CVW REPORT. Balloons and Plastic Ribbons: Deadly Litter on Virginia's Remote Beaches

January 2021. Free download.

Latex balloons, foil balloons and plastic ribbons are deadly forms of litter, and they are a top source of debris found on Virginia’s remote beaches according to this report by Clean Virginia Waterways. Litter was surveyed on Virginia’s barrier islands, Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and other beaches between 2013 and 2020 revealing that balloon-related litter items are often the #1 most frequently found type of debris.

Research cited in the report was done in conjunction with behavior research and a social marketing campaign in Virginia to understand and reduce the intentional releases of balloons during memorial and celebratory events. The campaign was created by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, Clean Virginia Waterways, NOAA Coastal Management, and NOAA Marine Debris Program. This campaign has inspired an expanded campaign effort in the Mid-Atlantic also referenced in the report.

Monitoring Marine Debris in Virginia's Coastal Zone.
Project Report: April 2014 through June 2018

2019. Free Download.

Researchers from the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and Clean Virginia Waterways conducted monthly monitoring of marine debris on four coastal beaches in Virginia in 2014-2018. This report documents the 15,276 pieces of debris that were found--the vast majority of which (83.0%) were made of plastic.

This project was funded by the VA Coastal Zone Management Program at the VA Department of Environmental Quality through two grants funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Report by Katie Register, Christina Trapani and Mark Swingle.

Reaching Beach Visitors: A Unique Cigarette Litter Prevention Program.

May 2017. Clean Virginia Waterways developed a cigarette litter prevention campaign that focused on beach visitors. This report covers our work and our findings.

A report from Clean Virginia Waterways to Keep America Beautiful by Katie Register and Christina Trapani.

Balloon Release Research in Virginia & Reducing Balloon Debris through Community-Based Social Marketing.

2017. 117 pages. Free download.

WHO plans balloon releases?
WHY do they do it?
What ALTERNATIVES (litter-free) would be acceptable to people who would otherwise release balloons?

This report summarizes 3 years of research on these questions. It is the final report from the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and Clean Virginia Waterways to NOAA Marine Debris Program by Virginia Witmer, Katie Register and Laura McKay.

Balloon Litter on Virginia's Remote Beaches

2018. Free download HERE (10MB)

More than 11,400 balloons, balloon pieces and attachments were found on Virginia’s most remote beaches by Clean Virginia Waterways' researchers as part of a five-year study of balloon litter in coastal environments of Virginia. Balloon litter was the #1 most frequently found type of marine debris on these beaches.

A report from Clean Virginia Waterways to the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program by Christina Trapani, Kathy O'Hara and Katie Register.

Balloon Litter Monitoring and Assessment for the Coastal Environment: A Protocol.

July 2018. This detailed protocol outlines how to collect data about balloon litter on beaches.

A report from Clean Virginia Waterways to the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program by Kathy O'Hara, Christina Trapani and Katie Register.

Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan: Summary and Look Forward.

2016. This is a summary of the key goals of the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan and early progress that was made in implementing the plan. 20 pages.

Beachy Clean: 2017 Progress Report.

December 2017. 23 pages. Free Download.

How did the successful “Keep It Beachy Clean” program start? This is a summary of the Beachy Clean community education campaign that targets beach visitors with litter-prevention messages.