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The Hefty ReNew Program
A detour from the path to sustainability
In our July 4th newsletter, we shared changes being implemented to the City of Tucson’s Hard to Recycle Plastics Program (plastics that are not accepted as loose items in the curbside blue recycle bin). We also shared how those changes, known as the Hefty ReNewprogram, had caused concerns and questions by Vice Mayor Kevin Dahl's as outlined in his June 28th Newsletter.
On August 20, 2024, another respected force on our community, Sustainable Tucson, presented a position statement titled The Hefty ReNew Program: A Detour from the Path to Sustainability to Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council outlining concerns with the program along with solutions that would benefit our environment.
Using a holistic approach, their Zero Waste Work Group Team benchmarked the program against the multiple challenges plastic has created for our environment and human health. They found that Hefty Renew doesn’t address the climate and toxic impacts of plastic across its lifecycle. It also does not address the root cause of the plastic waste problem; we are producing and using too much single-use plastic. Click here to review the entire document.
Key findings include:
- The Hefty ReNew program perpetuates wasteful throwaway systems and single-use habits.
- Hefty ReNew underscores the fossil fuel industry’s pivot to plastic production as its next major growth market.
- The program fails to address plastic’s widespread threats to the environment and human health.
- Repurposing plastic waste into alternative building and construction materials is not circular.
- Turning plastic waste into burnable fuels and/or small amounts of chemicals through pyrolysis and other high heat waste facilities is inefficient and dirty.
- Sending plastic waste to cement kilns to create energy is also highly polluting.
A summary of their recommendations concludes that the number of single-use disposable plastics in our community—and the amount being produced—is simply too much to handle. Recycling will never be able to keep up. It must be coupled with a drastic reduction in plastic production. Such action requires strong government policies, a significant improvement in business practices, a shift in societal culture, and individual behavior changes.
These findings are alarming. Simply put, we must all work together to reduce the use/need of plastic in our daily living by making smart purchasing choices. Recycling is not the answer. Let's use Sustainable Tucson's recommendations as a catalyst to reduce our use of plastics.
Think about this: If one thousand people in Pima County reduce plastic grocery bag use by one a day, that equates to 365,000 plastic bags not being pushed into our landfills each year. Extrapolate that across our nation. WOW!
Look for future LDA newsletter articles sharing information on how you can make a difference through thoughtful purchases and environmental considerations, thereby reducing the creation, distribution, and waste management of plastics in our environment.
Homework:
What is the definition of Cradle to Grave? Click here to find out!
Let's work together to
Keep our Desert and Community Livable and Thriving.
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