Litterati

The law failed by a vote of 14-21

Despite the tweaks, the Virginia-based American Chemistry Council spent millions in lobbying fees, radio ads and a prime-time TV ad attacking the measure, reports the Associated Press. The group, which represents plastic bag makers including Dow Chemical Co. and ExxonMobil Corp, helped sink Seattle’s effort last year to charge 20-cents for each plastic or paper grocery bag .

The Chemistry Council claimed that the ban would put 1000 people out of work, I guess because there’s no way to make reusable plastic bags in the factories which currently churn out plastic bags…

Non profits worked hard to get the bill as far as it went, even producing this mockumentary on the Life of the Plastic Bag, narrated by Sir Jeremy Irons

Plastic, one-use bags are a relative new-comer to our retail environment. They’ve only been around for about 25 years or so, so how did we ever get along without them before? And how is it that entire countries (Ireland, Taiwan) are able to pass legislation to ban plastic bag use and overuse, but we still have to do it piecemeal, one community at a time?

I was at Tysons today. It was crowded and I didn’t see one person save myself with a reusable bag (although to be fair, some people could have had small rolled up bags in their shoulder bags, which was where mine was until I needed to use it.)

We should be ashamed.

Could we do it here, do you think?

From the Boston Globe:

More than 100 municipalities in the United States have sought to reduce consumption of bottled water. San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Miami, Chicago, and Chapel Hill, N.C., have banned government purchases of bottled water. Others, including Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge, have taken pledges to phase out city spending on bottled water.

Please file under the ever growing “We need this here” department–

http://www.bigbellysolar.com/products/recycle.html

The BigBelly^® Solar Compactor with integrated recycling units is the world’s only system that provides on-site compaction of solid waste and separation of recyclable materials. The combination of recycling units with BigBelly^® provides significant economic, environmental and educational benefits.

These would be perfect in the parks and the baseball/softball fields where there simply isn’t the staff to pick up after every game or event.

First stop–a mandate that special events (such as games, festivals etc) have to reclaim their bottles and cans and paper and dispose of it properly (ie., not in the trash) and then let’s figure out the best way to make it happen, in light of these trying economic times…  This could be a good solution…

The Washington Post reports today that only 50% of households are recycling plastic and cans, and only 20% of us are recycling in public.

It is pretty easy to recycle. It takes just as much time to throw it in the trash, so why not just hit the bin instead?

What can we do about that?  A few things.

1. Recycle at home. Set a good example for your kids, roommates, spouses, parents and grandparents!

2. Recycle when you’re out. Ask where the recycle bin is at cafes and shops. Let the business owner know you’d like a recycle bin.

3. Give your business to companies that recycle and reuse plastic and paper products! Give those who don’t the “walk on by.”

4. Be a good steward and recycle on vacation. Its not hard and makes for good photo ops!

This is how they do it in Hawaii, with containers at schools. The schools get to keep the money they raise from the effort. This one is on the North Shore of Oahu.

National Geographic reports the unfortunate find of a huge floating patch of garbage off the East Coast, in the Atlantic Ocean.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100302-new-ocean-trash-garbage-patch/

What can you do? Start by not using plastic, and if you have to, make sure you recycle it after.