bc菠菜论坛 advocacy and 立法 tracking: How and why upcoming 立法 matters in zero waste.
Sustainable initiatives have skyrocketed in the past five years or so through local and state 立法, 企业可持续发展政策框架, and increased education and awareness of both environmental issues and potential solutions. These interrelated processes build on each other to strengthen circular economy standards at state, 联邦, 以及全球层面.
While we still have work to do to reach a universal circular economy, some incredible legislative initiatives have been passed recently that are tackling key waste issues, 比如国际 摆脱塑料 运动和U.S. 联邦 立法 争取同样的权利.
Statewide Legislation in the United States
The state of California’s 2021 legislative cycle saw great advancements in environmental 立法 with the passing of several circular economy bills, 都得到了 加州反对浪费组织， 国家管理行动委员会， 冲浪的基础, 和 加州堆肥联盟. Some of the bills 直接ly support bc菠菜论坛 credits:
- AB 962 – Promotes Reuse and supports a circular economy by allowing glass beverage bottles to be cleaned and reused as opposed to being broken down and used at a lower value later in the economy. Glass is a highly sustainable materials, as it can be reused essentially forever. 不幸的是，美国.S. waste stream often handles it as a single-use material.
- AB 1201 – Enacts more stringent regulations on compostable containers because many include toxic chemicals that leach into the environment. This also supports composting credits in the bc菠菜论坛 bc菠菜导航.
- AB 1276 – Extends straw-upon-request law to all single-use foodware 配件, following bc菠菜论坛’s priority of Refusing single-use items and Reducing waste as opposed to finding ways to deal with the waste after it has already been created.
- AB 881 – Shuts down a loophole for states exporting portions of 他们的 mixed plastic waste to external landfill and incineration plants. States must now report contents of exported plastic waste; bc菠菜论坛 is excited to support this change as we focus so much on source separation and keeping track of your environmental impact (Zero Waste Audits).
比如科罗拉多, 维吉尼亚州, Massachusetts and Washington are drafting and implementing much of 他们的 own sustainable 立法, ranging from bottle bills to plastic waste reduction. WasteDive的 article on state waste and recycling bills passed in the 2021 legislative cycle demonstrates trends among the states in moving towards a circular economy.
- 除了传球 塑料禁令HB 1162在美国，科罗拉多州优先考虑上游 可持续采购、 which aligns with bc菠菜论坛’s Zero Waste Purchasing strategy.
- 弗吉尼亚已经通过了 HB 2173，回收账单 禁止使用聚苯乙烯食品容器 到2025年7月，还有华盛顿 2020年塑料袋禁令 现在生效了.
- 马萨诸塞州也发起了 更好的瓶子法案 this year amid conversations of ramping up recycling infrastructure.
全球的国家立法
Although many countries have recently adopted exciting sustainable action plans and 联邦 policy, it is more difficult to get 联邦 environmental 立法 passed due to differentiated allocation of resources and services and funding available for 联邦 infrastructure.
- 在美国， 回收也是基础设施 一揽子计划已经提出, but we have yet to see how the cards will fall as it moves through the legislative process.
- South Korea has been steadily building up its national 立法 (Wastes Control Act, 5.法律和监管框架) to encompass more single-use plastic items, with the most recent developments deterring 豪华酒店 from providing single-use plastic toiletries.
- 南澳大利亚州开始进行改造 他们的 货柜存放计划 this year based on 他们的 estimates that the movement could create “more than $70 million in economic benefit and 120 new jobs.”
- Europe has also taken a lead role in upgrading outdated practices with France’s recent 禁止塑料产品包装 在杂货店. The initial 2020 anti-waste law is ambitious, with gradual refinements through 2026. France and other European Union countries are setting an example for sustainable prioritizations.
国际法例及协定
It can be difficult to evaluate our global sustainability commitments, as there is no international court for cases to be heard and 立法 enacted. Instead, countries sign onto international agreements — several 国际环境协定 have been signed in the last half a century. While many focus on pertinent environmental issues like ozone protection, 气候变化, 温室气体排放, 直接 “废物”和资源管理 has been largely overlooked, but is quickly becoming a hot-button issue. bc菠菜论坛 promotes the reduction of waste at the source and diversion of waste from landfills and incineration, which means that bc菠菜论坛 certified facilities will be surpassing environmental standards and regulations for decades to come.
Stay ahead of state, 联邦, and global environmental regulations by getting your facility bc菠菜论坛bc菠菜导航, looking at your facilities’ operations to see how you can join the movement, or becoming a bc菠菜论坛顾问 and advocate of zero-waste systems 和 emerging circular economy (or all three)!