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.
The bill is modeled after a plastic bag fee system that went into effect in 2010 in Washington, DC. By the end of 2010, plastic bag usage had dropped from the 2009 monthly average of 22.5 million to just 3 million.
Revenue generated from the Trash Reduction Act of 2013 will support the nation’s Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides, in part, matching grants to state and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities.
How can you help? Call or email your local senator and reps and urge them to support the Trash Reduction Act of 2013. In the meantime, don’t forget your reusable grocery bags. As Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
