| March 2010 BAG IT!
Many cities are now charging five cents for every new plastic bag used in the grocery store and pharmacy. Virginia's Assembly dropped a similar proposed legislation after pressure from industry retailers and the plastics industry to push a recycling program instead. America's dependence on plastic affects many arenas - petrochemical use for manufacturing, petroleum for transporting, water usage, carbon dioxide emmisions for manufacturing and transporting, litter, marine animal choking and landfill use. Between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year. Approximately 60 - 100 million barrels of oil are required to make the world’s plastic bags annually. Most take over 400 years to biodegrade; some could take over 1000 years to break down.
Americans value viewing all products as disposable. It has become a rote, unconscious act to collect purchases in a plastic or paper bag. But with attention to the impact of these bags, people increasingly change their thinking to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags.
Some see the five cents charge as a "tax" but the five cent charge is avoidable by using a reusable bag. Some claim they need bags for pet waste… Consider reusing the plastic bags from cereals, frozen fruits and vegetables, bread, bagged fruits and vegetables, bagged candy, coffee filters, coffee bags, diapers, sanitary products, or anything that comes wrapped in plastic bags. “Reuse" is a principal of being green.
Many stores have containers for recycling plastic bags. While commendable, it still uses resources and pollutes the environment to continue this cycle of use. If you already bring resuable bags to the grocery, consider an alternative for produce as well. And for retail purchaes, and the Farmers Market... Most stores charge 99 cents for reusable bags; fancier ones, $1.99. If you tend to forget them when you leave the house, place them with your keys, near the door or on the seat of the car.
There is always one more thing we can do to improve our actions for our children and our children's children. They will inherit what we do or don't do. Let's "kick the bag habit" for good.
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Downtown, guidelines to trash removal promote putting trash on the streets the “morning of” pick-up, rather than the “night-before”… Trees have been planted throughout town, with some removal and replanting. Tree wells were cleaned and mulched with the cooperation of the Beautification Committee, the C&G Commission, and Micah Ministries.
A new initiative began at the 2009 Christmas Parade -- a Non-Littering Campaign featured volunteers wearing green shirts and walking the crowd to gather litter. The Commission also cooperated with the DRMI Christmas Committee to design and hang decorative baskets at the Visitor’s Center.
A poster contest for the City’s elementary, middle, and high schools encouraged No Littering; Recycling; No Cigarette Butts, and was noted in February’s Front Porch.
For 2010, efforts continue to provide an improved clean and green community.
Mary Repass [Beautification Committee] and the Clean & Green Commission contributed to this story.
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