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PIRG's REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE CAMPAIGN
THE PROBLEM: UNNECESSARY WASTE BURNED AND BURIED
Incinerators and landfills both cause massive water and air pollution and other environmental and public health problems. Burning and burying trash is also a terrible waste of natural resources. Rather than continuing to burn and bury our trash, society should improve its recycling efficiency while seeking more environmentally sound alternatives to its solid waste problems.
THE SOLUTION: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Bottle Bills -- The PIRGs have led a number of statewide campaigns to implement Bottle Bills, which require deposits on beverage containers. The Bottle Bill has proven extremely successful in states like Oregon and Massachusetts where it has greatly increased recycling while reducing waste and litter.
President Issues Buy Recycled Order -- In a sweeping U.S. PIRG-backed 1993 Executive Order that will save millions of trees, President Bill Clinton ordered federal agencies to buy paper with high recycled content for government use.
States Agree to Buy Recycled -- In another boost for recycling, PIRG staff have convinced state and local governments, businesses and universities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Colorado and California to adopt similar buy recycled policies. In 1994, the state PIRGs significantly expanded the Buy Recycled Project to watchdog implementation of the federal policy and push for more Buy Recycled plans in additional states and municipalities.
"Wastemaker Awards" Trash Wasteful Packaging -- Since 1990, the PIRG's "Wastemaker Awards" have exposed 60 wasteful products that come wrapped in layers of plastic, Styrofoam and other hard-to-recycle packaging. Through the awards, PIRG draws attention to the problem and has pressured many manufacturers to make changes in their packaging.
For more information, contact:
Solid Waste Program Advocate
c/o MASSPIRG
29 Temple Place
Boston MA 02111
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