The Savings When Going Green
Consider these "before" statistical facts that pertain to the city of Seattle:
- The average person uses 485 plastic bags and 110 paper shopping bags each year
- Number of disposable bags used: 360 million/year
- Number of disposable bags collected: 120 million/year
- Garbage equivalence of disposable bags: 4% of total residential garbage
- Cost to collect and process disposable bags: $4,000,000/year
- Amount spent to clean up plastic bag litter: $503,000/year
Now, consider these projected "after" facts, once Seattle implements its proposed 20-cent "green fee" for all disposable grocery bags:
- Average "green fee" cost: $10/year/person
- Expected bag usage reduction: 70 %
- Greenhouse gas emission reductions: 4,000 tons/year
- Rough equivalent to emission reductions: Taking 665 cars off of the road
And I should add, Seattle also is trying to outlaw all Styrofoam take-out containers.
Project Suggestion: Find the proportionate figures for your city and what it would mean to go "green"!
Source: Seattle Business Magazine, July 2008, p. 14
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