New Ground: Small Steps to a Sustainable Environment

B.Y.O.B.

B.Y.O.B. used to mean “Bring Your Own Bottle”, but there’s a much better definition for the acronym—Bring Your Own Bag. These days, many merchants offer a nickel per bag savings when you bring your own bag, but today I read an article that turns the tables on plastic bag use.

Yesterday, On Earth, a publication of the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) published “How DC Beat the Plastic Bag Lobby”. When the clerk asks, “Paper or plastic?” it will cost D.C. residents a nickel per bag if they choose the latter. Merchants will keep part of each nickel, but the bulk of the money will be used to clean the polluted Anacostia River.

My hometown, Winona, MN is on the banks of the Mississippi River. Every September, townspeople gather for the annual “River Revival” and spend the day picking up the trash that accumulates on the river banks over the summer. The River Revival could certainly put a nickel per plastic bag fee to good use. It’s something to think about (and act on) for my town. What about yours?