How many people today grab a takeaway coffee cup from the local cafe to drink on the go? We don’t know, but the number must be enormous.. Most every one of the above have a plastic top that will last 100s of years. Some cafes still use plastic cups that last a similar time. Is 10 minutes of coffee worth 100s of years of trash?
These items can be seen littering our gutters and on our streets all over the place. If they were all cardboard, they would still be littered, but they would, at least, be gone in a short time.
They do not need to be made of plastic.
On the way home from the gym last week, a distance of about 1 km (1/2 mile), I counted the items of plastic litter on the curb as I walked. In that short distance I counted 63 pieces of plastic litter. Plastic drink bottles, bottle tops, candy wrappers, plastic film, polystyrene fragments etc. That seemed to be a lot to me. I guess it is a generational thing. Our parents would have been horrified to see that amount, whereas it seems to go unnoticed by our youth of today. In another 20 years how many pieces will there be on this stretch, -- 200? What will today’s youth think of that new amount then when they are older? Will their children be so readily accepting of a higher amount of litter? Oregon lawmakers ban EPS, boost reusable packaging – USA
Posted on April 28, 2023 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsThe Oregon legislature April 26 passed two measures aimed at controlling plastic waste — a ban on expanded polystyrene foodservice, packing peanuts and coolers, along with a second bill to boost reusable packaging.
“The only way to head off this crisis is to start reducing the amount of plastic we create, use and throw away, and to start doing that as quickly as possible,” said Tara Brock, Oceana’s Pacific counsel.
Some state senators linked the EPS and reusable packaging measures, saying they work in tandem. The EPS ban bill also restricts fluorinated PFAS chemicals in packaging.
The reuse bill would make it easier for restaurants to offer hygienic reusable and refillable containers as an alternative to single-use plastics and packaging.
“Products that have a ‘forever’ impact on our planet, like polystyrene foam, which doesn’t biodegrade, and PFAS forever chemicals that build up in our bodies and environment, should be eliminated,” said Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro. “As we move away from these wasteful and harmful plastic products, we should make it easier for Oregon businesses to offer reusable options to help make the zero waste future we are working to build a reality.”
Next door in Washington state, legislators recently passed a modest reuse bill that also phases out small plastic personal care containers in hotels and takes aim at foam-filled floats used for boat and recreational docks.
The legislation, which also requires any new building constructed with water fountains to also install bottle refill stations, passed in early April. Gov. Jay Inslee signed it April 20.
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