HB1287:

Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for recycled materials.

Bill Summary:

Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for plastic recycled materials. Requires the Department of General Services (DGS), in determining the award of any contract for plastic materials to be purchased for use by agencies of the Commonwealth, to procure using competitive sealed bidding and give preference to bidders that supply materials containing plastic recycled content, as long as such materials are cost competitive with materials that do not contain plastic recycled content. The bill directs DGS to promulgate regulations to (i) in consultation with the Virginia Manufacturers Association, define "cost competitive" for purposes of the implementation of the bill and (ii) establish a system that requires an incremental increase in the minimum percentage of plastic recycled content required to be included in materials in order for a bidder to be given preference in the procurement process, as follows: (a) 10 percent plastic recycled content by January 1, 2025; (b) 20 percent plastic recycled content by January 1, 2028; and (c) 30 percent plastic recycled content by January 1, 2030.