Policy

This bill takes important steps to reduce flood risk across Vermont, at a critical time when flood-related disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe. Includes the ban on unencapsulated foam docks, which wi l hplp reventi one of the leading causes of toxic polystyrene foam from entering Vermont’s waterways. This foam pollution is worsened by climate change, such as during flood events, and it can kill wildlife, pollute beaches, and degrade water quality.

Rozalia Project data was a big part in demonstrating the pervasiveness of the problem and the increase in foam found in the environment after significant floods.

Rozalia Project has discovered that microbeads fill our waterways, which pose a danger to wildlife and ecosystems. Current Vermont waste systems can barely catch microbeads before they are set free in our urban waterways. Rozalia Project’s research and analysis of microbeads have been crucial in pushing legislation for Vermont to ban microbeads. This legislation passed in the state house unanimously. Since then, US Congress passed a law to ban the production and sale of products with microbeads.

This is a huge win for our ecosystem!

This act is a federal initiative to begin the development of infrastrucure to prevent and remove microplastic pollution. Rozalia Project has found how microplastics negatively impact our coastlines, waterways, and wildlife, even in Lake Champlain. This act takes important steps to begin the long-awaited journey of fighting microplastic pollution.

Save our Seas 2.0 Act is a nationwide act to expand the United States capacity to prevent dangerous washed-up plastic pollution. The Act works to improve federally-funded marine debris response programs, improve American waste management, and enhance US outreach to combat marine debris on a global scale. This act outlines the establishment of important foundations, research, and relations to combat the marine debris crisis.

Big win for our oceans!

Effective July 2020, Vermont banned single-use take-out bags, cups, plastic stirrers, and more. This packaging ban has worked to greatly reduce Vermont’s waste, as “single-use items, paper, and packaging make up 1/3 of Vermont’s trash,” (VT DEC). This new law can work to inspire other states and businesses to follow the same model and join the fight against plastic pollution.

In 2018, Vermont passed a bill that works to collect unclaimed bottle recycling deposits and put them forward into the Clean Water Fund. This will increase funding for the Clean Water Fund and take advantage of the BOttle Bill system. The Clean Water Fund works on projects to decrease sediment pollution. These proejcts improve wildlife habitat, better stormwater infrastructure, and preserve watersheds. This has a positive and direct impact on the health of the Lake Champlain watershed!