In a unanimous vote, Truckee Town Council recently approved an ordinance that bans most disposable plastic bags, while requiring retailers to charge a minimum 10-cent fee per recycled paper or reusable bag at check out.
The purpose is to dramatically reduce the single-use bag waste that is an unnecessary problem for our environment, health and waste management systems.
While 91% of Americans have access to plastic bag recycling only 1-3% of all plastic bags are recycled. The recycling process is fuel, water and energy intensive and creates a product that is more expensive to make than to buy. It costs less than a penny to manufacture a plastic bag the estimated litter clean-up cost per bag is about $.21 to the taxpayers. Additionally, the average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic bags each year. Each one of these bags has an average life of 12 minutes before disposal.
Details of the Ordinance
The “Single-Use Bag Reduction Ordinance” has been adopted by Truckee Town Council and will be implemented throughout town on June 1st, 2014.
You can get more information on the Ordinance at http://www.townoftruckee.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9723
So, the next time you walk in to a store in Truckee/Lake Tahoe or any other community, please remember to bring your own bag with you to the checkout stand!
We can all make a difference…. one bag at a time!
Speak Your Mind