rethink disposable

Get those reusable bags ready! On May 4th, plastic carryout bags will be banned in New Jersey and if you don’t already bring your own reusable bag to the store, now is the time to start!

There’s not a better time than the beginning of the year to make a change in your home.  Setting the intention to declutter and create a more sustainable and zero-waste home is a great goal to start off your year. With that in mind, it can seem overwhelming to begin your journey towards a minimalist home. 

Great news from New Jersey! The State Legislature just passed an ambitious new bill (S2515/A4676) that will require minimum percentages of post-consumer recycled content in a variety of packaging products, including rigid plastic containers, beverage containers, paper and plastic bags, trash bags, and glass containers. The new law, which is just awaiting Governor Murphy's signature, will also set incremental increases to the Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) percentages and bans Styrofoam packing peanuts.

On Tuesday, October 26th the Zero Waste Massachusetts coalition hosted a webinar on incineration in Massachusetts.

Clean Water Action is also pushing for one or two things: a reduced tax rate for non-single-use products made from virgin resins or clear definitions explaining what products are single-use and which are not. Join Clean Water Action in eliminating the problem at the source. 

In recent years, bills have been introduced to address polystyrene, plastic flatware, single-use water bottles and other plastic packaging. But, none have succeeded. The most efficient way to comprehensively solve the problem of single-use plastics, then, is with a statewide EPR bill.

Connecticut’s Incinerator is shutting down - now is not the time to expand a polluting ash disposal facility.

For Plastic Free July, will you join us in calling on restaurants and businesses to reopen with non-toxic reuse?

New Jersey’s ban on single-use carryout bags and polystyrene foam containers will go into effect one year from now, or May 2022! This victory was the result of the groundswell of concern over the damage being caused to our environment by waste and single-use plastics. This is only the beginning of the paradigm shift toward zero waste happening in New Jersey, across the U.S., and around the world. In the next part of our ReThink Disposable Blog Series, we will take a look at state policies in the works that will move us ever closer toward a zero waste future.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of going zero waste in your life? Most people who want to produce minimum amounts of waste are afraid of the extra costs and hassle that comes from a zero waste lifestyle. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started while keeping cost low and hassle even lower.

1. Use Glass Jars