December 16, 2021
Lake County Board Approves Policy to Prohibit Single-Use Plastics in County Operations
The Lake County Board has approved a policy that will prohibit single-use plastics within many County operations, furthering efforts to promote sustainability and support the environment.
Effective January 1, 2023, single-use plastics associated with service ware, eating, and drinking, such as cutlery, coated paper plates, beverage bottles, to-go containers, lids, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, shopping or storage bags, and plastic wrap, will cease to be purchased, sold, or distributed within Lake County government operations and many County government sites.
"Single-use plastics such as containers, forks and straws are often thrown away and can take hundreds of years to break down in our landfills while posing a risk to wildlife and ecosystems, said Lake County Energy and Environment Committee Chair Terry Wilke. "I thank the committee, Lake County Board, and staff for working on a policy that will benefit our environment while also showing Lake County's commitment to promoting a sustainable environment."
The policy, which began within the Energy and Environment Committee, is applicable only to County-owned and operated facilities and is not a countywide single-use plastics ban.
“We hope this policy will serve as a model for other county and local governments as well as businesses and residents to look more closely at ways they can take impactful steps to help protect our environment,” said Energy and Environment Committee Vice-Chair Paras Parekh.
The County partnered with the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County to work with a consultant to complete initial analysis on possible costs to prohibit single-use plastics in some of the County’s operations. Following an analysis and presentation by Resource Recycling Systems, the Energy and Environment Committee provided direction to draft a policy to prohibit single-use plastics from County government operations by January 1, 2023.
“Eleven million pounds of plastic enters Lake Michigan each year, which is more than any other Great Lake," said Lake County Board Member Jessica Vealitzek. "We need to end our reliance on plastic, which produces greenhouse gases at every point in its life cycle. The Board set a great example and I hope more local governments and businesses will join us.”
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