How Can Belmont Reduce Single-Use Plastics?

 Environment, January 2022, Newsletter, Recycling  Comments Off on How Can Belmont Reduce Single-Use Plastics?
Jan 042022
 
How Can Belmont Reduce Single-Use Plastics?

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. The United States generates more plastic waste than any other country in the world: 42 million tons, or 286 pounds per person, in 2016. That includes plastic waste the US exports to other countries with weak recycling systems (see links at end of article for details). Plastic waste lasts a long time and has many noxious effects (See “Think Twice About Single-Use Plastics,” Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter, November 2021). The Massachusetts legislature, a recycling leader in 1981 when it passed the “bottle bill” over Governor Ed King’s veto, has become a laggard. (See “Time To Pass [READ MORE]

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Time To Pass An Updated Bottle Bill

 Environment, January 2022, Newsletter, Recycling  Comments Off on Time To Pass An Updated Bottle Bill
Jan 032022
 
Time To Pass An Updated Bottle Bill

By Janet Domenitz and Julia Blatt We need to stop kicking the can down the road.  Since its passage nearly 40 years ago, the bottle bill has created a successful recycling program in Massachusetts.  But time is catching up to the law, and it needs updating to deliver the best results. A lot has changed in Massachusetts since the original bottle bill was established in 1983. First, our waste problem has worsened. According to the new Trash in America report released by MASSPIRG and other regional public interest groups, the average American throws out nearly 1,800 pounds of trash each [READ MORE]

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