Trash Free Maryland Waste Reduction Platform

Good policies are vital to the reduction of trash pollution in Maryland. If we want to eliminate trash we need to reduce plastic waste, do a better job of reuse and recycling, and re-envision waste management. We invite you to support and share this platform so that we can assist policy-makers in developing and implementing policies that will lead us to a trash free Maryland.

Reduce Plastic Waste

The top items that are littered in the Chesapeake Bay watershed continue to be plastic. Plastic waste is unsightly, and it harms the health of Marylanders and the environment that we all share. We need to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated, consumed and discarded in our state.

Policies we support:

• Plastic bag bans and/or fees

• Foam bans

• Single-use plastic on request

Reuse and Recycle Right

A small portion of items are actually recycled. We need improved incentives towards effective recycling, truth in recycling, and the ability to repair and reuse items in order to delay their entry into the solid waste stream.

Policies we support:

• Beverage deposit laws

• Right to repair

• Limitations on chemical recycling (also called advanced recycling)

• Composting

Re-envision Waste Management

Currently, the bulk of the responsibility for the environmental impacts of product pollution lies with the public, and not the producers of those products. Producer Responsibility policies shift a portion of the responsibility to the producers and importers to be more accountable for the waste created by the products they profit from, thereby decreasing the public burden and environmental impact.

Policies we support:

• Producer Responsibility