Austin, Texas Considers Banning Plastic Bottles, Mandating Recycling at Large Public Events Such as South By Southwest
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08.11.08
photo by Ryan Mattson
Anyone who’s been to South by Southwest, Austin City Limits or any of the other big public events in Austin, Texas knows how much waste, in the form of plastic water bottles, plastic beer cups, and disposable paper items, gets produced. Come on, one atomic taco means at least two plastic cups of beer just to put out the fire and be able to think again. Multiply that times thousands over multiple days and you get the picture.
Events Without Recycling Plan May Be Denied Access to Public Facilities
Now, the city is mulling whether to mandate recycling requirements for events over 100 people which wish to use city facilities. Those who do not comply may be denied access to city facilities or requests for public street closures, the Austin Business Journal reports.
Green Rating System May Be Developed
Part of the measure would be a ban on plastic bottles, styrofoam and paper items. Additionally, a green rating system may be devised to alloy event promoters to tout their event’s use of environmentally friendly products and renewable energy.
For it’s part, SXSW says that it is supportive of the ordinance, but notes that it is not unwillingness on the part of festivals to recycle or the cost of doing so, rather it’s that the city lacks adequate reuse and recycling infrastructure.
The ordinance is expected to be decided upon in late August or early September.
via :: Austin Business Journal
Recycling, Plastic
Los Angeles City Council Votes to Ban Plastic Shopping Bags by July 2010 (Maybe)
Recycling Firms More Valuable as Oil Prices Climb
4 Ways to Earn Cash From Recycling
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- The Green Dragon Wakes: Are China’s Eco-Efforts A Sign of Things to Come?
- Business Enraged at Toronto Proposals for Reducing Waste
- Let's Make November 15 Zero Waste Day, not America Recycles Day
- UK Looks for Storage for Piles of Worthless Recycling Waste
I think the idea of linking permits with a recycling plan is long overdue accross the country. Banning plastic bottles is impractical, and would be unecessary if people would cooperate. I believe many of us are infuriated at the number of people who simply drop their containers wherever they happen to be standing - whether those containers are empty, or not - as soon as they are done with them. If anti-littering rules were enacted, and enforced - meaning people were thrown out of an event if they were caught, regardless of how much they paid for a ticket - perhaps people would begin to walk the extra couple of feet to a garbage can! Meanwhile, maybe those of us who don't actually litter can stop being guilty of looking the other way.
It sounds great to me.
I remember thinking how much waste was being generated at the last concert I went to and how I wished there were some recycling bins.
I only saw one recycling bin in downtown Little Rock but it wasn't inside the area the concert was in.
Go Austin!
I'd definitely have to agree. But there's two issues at play.
1) Don't binners already take care of recyclable bottles that have a deposit on them? Around here, they're out in full force at any big event, carting off many full garbage bags each. If this doesn't happen in Austin, perhaps either the deposit needs an increase, or the cops should stop hassling them.
2) Other posters are right. You'd be lucky if you can get the public to put trash (especially recyclable trash) in *any* bin, nevermind the *right* bin. Most public places where I've seen recycling bins (even the ones that are typically pretty clean like food courts) are usually used inappropriately. Recyclables in the garbage and vice versa. Since this happens with even the best facilities, it's a better policy to actually hire people to pick up after an event, and have *them* sort the garbage. There'd even be some semblance of accountability and an enforcement of the recycling rules - blue bags filled with garbage means you get slapped or fired or something.
It wouldn't necessarily be fair to punish the event holders because people don't want to take one single second to just put a recyclable in the right bin but I see what you're saying.
I guess some kind of signs would need to be around encouraging people to put them in the right bins.
As much as I would somewhat hate to see this done, paying people to recycle would help a lot. I would just hate to see what would happen if funding was cut or whatnot, people would go back to their old ways.