just a (transplanted) city girl

>New York State’s Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act

Effective January 1, 2009, a new statewide law requires certain retail and grocery stores to set up a plastic carry out bag recycling program for their customers.

Stores with 10,000 square feet or more of retail space and chains which operate five or more stores with greater than 5,000 square feet of retail space, and which provide plastic carry out bags to customers, are required to comply with the law.

Why Recycle Plastic Bags?

Each year, Americans throw away more than 100 billion plastic bags. Less than 1% are recycled. Recycling these bags reduces waste and litter, resulting in cleaner streets and waterways and less material in landfills. Recycling also protects wildlife because plastic bags can be dangerous to animals that ingest them or are strangled by them. In addition, using recycled plastic bags in place of virgin plastics reduces our demand for oil. Recycled plastic bags provide valuable material to manufacturers of plastic lumber, plastic bags and other useful products.

Avoiding the Use of Plastic Bags Helps Even More

Instead of using a plastic bag, you can:

Use canvas, cloth or a durable plastic bag.

Reusable bags are more environmentally friendly than paper or plastic. Under the law, any store required to recycle plastic bags must also sell reusable bags. Keep them in your car for the next time you have to run out for groceries.

Say “No thank you.”

Not all items require a bag so tell the clerk, “No thank you.” Carry small purchase items, like a magazine, candy, or a drink, to the car instead of in a plastic bag.

Tell a friend.

Get others to recycle and use reusable bags.

What are Stores Required to Do?

• Establish an “at-store” plastic bag recycling program. Stores must make collection bins for plastic bag recycling available to customers in a visible, easily accessible location. There are slightly different requirements for enclosed malls (see the law for details).
• Ensure that collected plastic bags are actually recycled. Stores are required to recycle the plastic bags collected and are prohibited from disposing of the collected plastics as solid waste.
• Label all plastic bags. Any bags distributed in affected stores must state Please Return to a Participating Store for Recycling or a similar message approved by the DEC. The message required pursuant to New York City Local Law 1 of 2008, Please reuse or recycle at a participating store, is acceptable. (Note: If you use biodegradable compostable bags, they must be labeled Compostable bag–Do not place in recycling bin)
• Keep records. Stores are required to maintain records describing the collection, transport and recycling of plastic bags for at least three years. The records must include the weight of plastics collected and where they were recycled.
• Sell reusable bags. Stores are required to offer reusable bags to their customers for purchase and allow the use of reusable shopping bags. (Note: A reusable bag is made of cloth or other machine washable fabric that has handles or is a durable plastic bag with handles made for multiple use).

More about NYS Plastic Bag Reduction :

• NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Law – Effective January 1, 2009, a new statewide law requires certain retail and grocery stores to set up a plastic carry out bag recycling program for their customers.
• Frequently Asked Questions about Plastic Bag Recycling – Frequently asked questions for the new statewide law that requires certain retail and grocery stores to set up a recycling program for customers to return plastic bags for recycling.

>The EPA Office of Water has released a report describing activities implemented in 2008 to respond to the challenges posed by a changing climate. The report is divided into three major sections:

 a description of activities to implement the National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change, including the 44 key actions in the Strategy;

 a review of water-related climate change activities in EPA Regions; and

 a summary of EPA climate and water-related activities not specifically addressed in the Strategy.

During 2008 the Office of Water made substantial progress implementing the Strategy. Work on all but three of the 44 key actions has been initiated. For most of these actions, interim milestones and schedules have been accomplished and work is on schedule. Some highlights of successful implementation efforts include:

 publication of proposed regulations designed to assure that geologic sequestration of carbon does not pose a threat to underground sources of drinking water;

 development of the “Climate Ready Estuaries Program;” and

 establishment of a Federal Interagency Workgroup on climate change and water matters.

More information about the Strategy is available on the Office of Water Climate Change Website at: www.epa.gov/water/climatechange.

>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) are taking actions to protect and restore both recreational uses and aquatic life in Florida waters. These actions include EPA issuing a formal determination under the Clean Water Act that ‘numeric’ nutrient water quality criteria are necessary in Florida, and Florida accelerating its efforts to adopt numeric nutrient criteria into state regulations. Numeric nutrient criteria will significantly improve Florida’s ability to address nutrient pollution in a timely and effective manner.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus levels (nutrient pollution) in waterbodies can cause harm to aquatic ecosystems and threaten public health. Nutrient pollution can lead to water quality problems such as harmful algal blooms, low-oxygen ‘dead zones’ in water bodies and declines in wildlife and wildlife habitat. These effects also disrupt recreational activities and pose threats to public health.

Water quality degradation from nutrient pollution is a significant environmental issue in Florida. Florida’s 2008 Integrated Water Quality Assessment revealed that approximately 1,000 miles of rivers and streams, 350,000 acres of lakes, and 900 square miles of estuaries are impaired by nutrients. The actual number of miles and acres of waters impaired for nutrients is likely higher, as many waters that have yet to be assessed may also be impaired.

Local governments in Florida have worked to improve wastewater treatment and stormwater management. In addition, many in the agricultural community have implemented best management practices for nutrient control.

The federal determination is intended to build upon the substantial investments that Florida has made in nutrient data collection, analysis, and stakeholder involvement, and is fully consistent with the State’s and EPA’s commitment to a stronger nutrient control program. The new numeric nutrient water quality standards will help Florida improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its water quality management tools, identify waters impaired because of nutrient pollution, establish Total Maximum Daily Loads and Basin Management Action Plans and derive National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit limits.

EPA’s decision letter on these actions: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/#det
FDEP’s 2008 Integrated Report: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/docs/2008_Integrated_Report.pdf
FDEP’s Numeric Nutrient Criteria Development Plan: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wqssp/nutrients/