Category Archives: Plastics Policy

Plastics at the Rio Earth Summit

Daniella Russo, a co-founders of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, was in Rio de Janeiro last week for the Rio+20 2012 Earth Summit. I asked her about what did   –and didn’t — happen at the international gathering: Q: What were you … Continue reading

Posted in Plastic Pollution, Plastics Policy, Recycling, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Whose Wish List Counts?

One of the chief defenders of the plastics/chemicals industry is the Washington DC law firm of Keller and Heckman. Founding partner Jerome Heckman has represented plastics  for decades going back to  the industry’s first public relations crisis in 1959 when … Continue reading

Posted in Plastics & Health, Plastics Policy, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

How to keep up with bag laws

When I was working on my book, trying to track the political debate over plastic bags was a major pain. Every time I saw a news story about some town considering a ban, I would log it into a chart … Continue reading

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Will Bag Bans Take Off in California?

If I were a betting person, I’d wager we’ll see a wave of plastic bag prohibitions coming out of California communities over the next year. And I’m guessing that unlike the first round of bag measures that were inspired by … Continue reading

Posted in Business of Plastics, Plastic Pollution, Plastics Policy, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

A New Bag Battle

  In the old days — say, four years ago — bag battles  were centered on the plastic or paper question. Which was always something of a red herring since the issue at stake is really our dependence on single-use … Continue reading

Posted in Packaging, Plastics Policy, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Dispatches from battles of the bag (updated)

I’ve been meaning for some time now to do an update on the ongoing fight over plastic bags.  It is, forgive the pun, a mixed bag. On the plus side: the suburban D.C. area of Montgomery County, Maryland, passed a … Continue reading

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