Board grants one-year exemption to schools on expanded-polystyrene food-service ban

The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors on June 3 granted a one-year exemption, effective July 1, 2025, to the Culpeper County Public School System from the state prohibition on expanded-polystyrene (EPS) food-service containers cited in Va. Code §10.1‑124.3.

County staff introduced the item as a local reaction to state legislation adopted in 2021 that prohibits food-service providers from using EPS food-service containers. Mr. McLaren told the board the state statute includes an exemption provision allowing localities to grant a one-year exemption in school cases; the board moved and approved the exemption through a voice vote.

McLaren said the state code lacked clarity about enforcement mechanisms at the local level and that relatively few Virginia localities had acted on the statute to date. The board did not specify enforcement details and directed that the exemption apply through July 1, 2026, per the statute’s allowance.