Nov 7 - Plastic Bag Ordinance Working in Texas?
Nearly a year after the first local bag ordinance in Texas went into effect in the city of Brownsville, the ordinance is showing signs of success. Residents are noticing that the streets around the city look a lot cleaner than they did before the ordinance went into effect.
So far the city has collected about $250,000 in revenue for customers who paid $1 for each purchase using plastic bags instead of reusable bags. The money was turned around to fund other waste reduction programs and will eventually pay for some litter abatement grants.
According to this article, Brownsville Public Health Director Art Rodriguez attributes the success of the program to the behavioral change of Brownsville residents. To ensure that the ordinance continues to thrive, the city plans to reintroduce an outreach campaign and push for even more reusable bag use.
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