Local news, first!

Roanoke became the first local government in Virginia to implement a plastic bag ordinance starting January 1, 2022! According to the legislation, it aims to curb street litter, protect waterways, minimize solid waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Single use plastic shopping bags are all over in our local, Fairfax county streams; to keep these environmental nuisances out of our waterways, effective legislation is necessary. To learn more about the background and next steps of this bill, take a look at this article.

New laws in New York!

New York City Council passed a bill that places limitations on plastic straw use. The new legislation, effective November 1st, 2021 as long as the governor signs off, states restaurants can only provide plastic straws upon request and must have straws made out of alternative materials. Straws are made out of lightweight plastic and because of their weight and size they easily fall through the cracks during waste collection– ultimately ending up in local waterways. Check out this article for more information on this recent environmental win and for other plastic reduction initiatives happening in New York.

Cross country trip for more good news.

The state of Washington became the second state with recycled content requirements for plastic beverage containers and the sixth to ban forms of Styrofoam. One part of the bill requires beverage manufacturers to use 15% recycled content by weight by 2023 and increasing to 50% by 20231. To learn more about other initiatives and motivations of the bill, check out this article.