At State Senator Carol Liu’s Town Hall meeting March 28, she praised Burbank’s new sustainability plan and suggested that it could be a model for Glendale.
Liu subsequently praised Glendale’s programs for the homeless and suggested these could be a model for Burbank (but that’s another topic). She did acknowledge that Glendale has a Sustainability Task Force and was working on these issues (see the previous post on Glendale’s Recycling/Earth Day giveaway of reusable tote bags for just one example.)
Burbank’s mayor was on hand at the Town Hall meeting. He said the city’s sustainability plan was based on the United Nations template but with an added “social justice” component. He also mentioned that Burbank will launch one of the first hydro/electric bus programs in the country this May.
Each attendee at the Town Hall meeting received a large, green Burbank Water and Power reusable tote bag with a “1 Bag at a Time” label on it.
Printed on its label were the facts that finally persuaded me to reduce my Glendale household’s use of plastic (and paper!) grocery bags:
14 plastic bags contain enough petroleum to drive a car a mile.
380 billion plastic bags or wraps are thrown away in America each year
Making a paper bag emits 70% more global warming gases than making a plastic bag
0 paper bags biodegrade in landfills due to a lack of oxygen
Cities spend up to 17 cents per bag in disposal costs
At this point, Glendale has officially joined LA County’s single-use bag reduction program, and is investigating other waste reduction initiatives (outlined in this city staff report).
Check back for updates on a Glendale sustainability plan, and on the household switch to reusable tote bags and recycled trash bags.