News & Updates

A new report released today by the Vermont Public Interest Research and Education Fund (VPIREF), Vermont Conservation Voters, the Mind the Store campaign, Toxic-Free Future, and other partners found that nearly half of all take-out food packaging tested from multiple popular food chains contains potentially toxic chemicals. The new investigation shows that all six food ...

Today, VPIRG joined the ACLU of Vermont, Justice for All, and more than a dozen other organizations in releasing a letter urging Vermont leaders to fundamentally reimagine the role of police in Vermont communities and to commit to the ten-point action plan below. Police reform is just one component of a much broader push to dismantle ...

Two months ago, after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, we told you that VPIRG “stands in solidarity with those demanding justice and working to address systemic racism.” Solidarity isn’t about making a statement – it’s about taking action. In launching our Racial Justice Program, we are committed to doing more than just ...

Vermont’s State Primary Election is on Tuesday, August 11. That means you have just a few days left to make sure your vote is counted! The Secretary of State is recommending Vermonters mail in their primary ballots no later than August 3rd to ensure that they arrive at the town clerks’ offices in time to be ...

According to the EPA, environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” A goal which will be achieved “when everyone enjoys (1) the same degree of protection from environmental ...

Here at VPIRG we’ve been working for months to ensure that no Vermonter is forced to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote this year. Thankfully, the Vermont legislature recently passed bill S.348 granting full authority to the Secretary of State to mail all registered voters a ballot for this year’s ...

On Friday, Governor Phil Scott allowed S.348 to become law without his signature. This law grants full authority to the Secretary of State to mail all registered voters a ballot for this year’s General Election in November. This law finally makes it possible for Vermont to move forward with a vote-by-mail system, which is the ...

As of July 1, 2020, Vermont state law bans food scraps from the trash. Here’s what you need to know… What’s Act 148? In 2012, Vermont passed the Universal Recycling Law (Act 148), which had several waste-diversion provisions that would be phased in over the course of several years. The last of these measures,  which bans food scraps ...