November 15 has marked America Recycles Day since 1997. It’s the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States.
But what’s the difference between a recycled item, an item that’s recyclable, and something reusable? The three words are often interchanged, but they shouldn’t be. Continue reading
Imagine a nation that eliminates plastic bags. Think it’s a pipe dream? Perhaps, but if Jim Moran has his way, the US could be one step closer to making that a reality.
U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) unveiled a bill on Earth Day that he calls the Trash Reduction Act of 2013. If passed, a five-cent fee on single-use plastic AND paper bags will be imposed at every retail store across the country.
“According to the Environment Protection Agency, the average American throws away about 4.4 pounds of trash each day. The results of this waste can be found in our oceans, now home to floating landfills ten times the size of Virginia. Small steps like replacing plastic bags with reusable ones yield large returns in reducing the amount of trash we create,” said Rep. Moran. Continue reading
Last month, we wrote about a draft ordinance in Portland, Maine, to ban plastic bags. While it ultimately didn’t take off here (yet!), it has definitely gotten the community talking.
Local landfill and waste managers are speaking up about the damage that plastic bags are doing at their facilities. Three years ago, we first talked about how plastic bags wreak havoc at recycling facilities. Well, that problem hasn’t gone away. C’mon. You really can’t be surprised.
Even though there is a recycling symbol on plastic bags, and even though modern recycling technology makes it possible recycle almost any household item, plastic bags should not be recycled in your curbside bins. Automated single-stream recycling equipment can’t sort them—even if they don’t blow away first.
The Kentucky House of Representatives has passed a bill that creates an administrative framework for industrial hemp production in Kentucky. The bill passed by an overwhelming 88-4 majority. The Senate concurred in a House floor amendment, 35-1.
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said, “By passing this bill, the General Assembly has signaled that Kentucky is serious about restoring industrial hemp production to the Commonwealth and doing it in the right way. That will give Kentucky’s congressional delegation more leverage when they seek a federal waiver allowing Kentucky farmers to grow hemp.”
Proponents of the bill cite its potential to help Kentucky’s farmers and bring thousands of jobs to the state, should the federal government lift the ban on the crop.
Plastic grocery bags could soon be a thing of the past in Portland, Maine.
The City Council has formed a workgroup tasked with drafting an ordinance to reduce the use of plastic grocery bags. The group is comprised of people representing Environment Maine, the Maine Restaurant Association, the Maine Audubon Society, and the Maine Grocers Association—as well as local business owners and residents. The group is considering both bag bans and fees.
More and more cities in California have joined the reusable grocery bag movement—enough to prompt a second look by the state’s legislature. With West Hollywood’s recently passed bag ban, there are now over 10 Southern California municipalities that have approved local ordinances that regulate plastic bag use—with two more going into effect this year.
Other cities, including Los Angeles, are considering bans as well, and are at various stages of the process. If the L.A. ban is proposed and approved, the city will be the largest in the country to ban plastic bags.
A ban on single-use plastic bags goes into effect in West Hollywood today for stores (including clothing stores and newsstands) larger than 10,000 square feet. The gradual rollout gives smaller stores until August 20 to comply. Shoppers must either bring reusable bags, or buy paper bags made with at least 40% post-consumer recycled content for 10 cents.
This ban is just one of many in effect, or being debated, across the country as the negative effects of plastic bag use are increasingly being highlighted.
If you aren’t living in an area where plastic bags have been banned, there are other options to cut down on the rubbish! Texas Disposal Systems has begun operating a citywide, single-stream bag recycling program in Georgetown.
Residents can recycle large quantities of single-use plastic bags by putting them into a special bag. That container is then placed in the regular curbside recycling bins for pickup.
Neighboring Austin’s bag restriction law is set to take effect in March. TDS says the city currently doesn’t include bags in its curbside collection and recycling program. Here’s hoping that changes soon—restricting plastic bags while enabling easy, effective recycling options are both key to reducing the impact of plastic trash!
On February 7, two fourth graders in Weston, Connecticut, will be submitting a petition to their town selectmen. They are trying to ban plastic grocery bags, and have collected 150 signatures on a petition in support of that.
Colleen Moore, 10, had the idea for the petition as part of an assignment in her Project Challenge class at school. “I wanted to do something that was good for the environment and this seemed like a good idea,” she said. Fellow student Julia Morledge, 9, has partnered with Colleen to help move the idea forward.
Each year, on the third Thursday in December, Southern California shoppers are urged to forgo plastic shopping bags in favor of reusable grocery bags in an effort to encourage reusable bag use throughout the year. This year, the sixth-annual A Day Without A Bag is on December 20.
Over 9 million residents in California live in communities that have either banned plastic bags or are actively working on bag ban ordinances. When these ordinances pass, nearly 1 in 3 Californians will have embraced reusable bag use!
Sponsored in part by the City and County of Los Angeles, and organized by Heal the Bay, the goals of the annual event are to encourage shoppers to adopt more sustainable practices during the holidays and coming year and to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags throughout California. Each year Heal the Bay partners distribute free reusable grocery bags to patrons throughout the region. A diverse mix of retailers also supports the event through in-store promotions or giveaways at stores countywide.
For more information, visit Heal the Bay‘s website.
