In the year 2012, there were a lot of campaigns in the city of Darien that aimed at promoting the usage of reusable bags. But, the longest running campaign in the city was conducted by a group named Choose to Reuse. This organization proposed an ordinance which demanded the retailers and other shopkeepers in the region to use promotional reusable bags instead of single-use plastic bags. Even though the ordinance was not passed by the city council, the organization continues to promote the usage of recyclable and reusable eco friendly bags among the residents of the city

The initiative by Choose to Reuse in Darien

Choose to Reuse, as an organization, took up the initiative to promote reusable bags among the residents of the city as they felt that the residents need to be educated on the dangers of using single-use plastic bags. Through this campaign, the organization educated the residents on the harmful effects of plastic bags on the environment. They emphasized on the fact that plastic bags are non-biodegradable in nature, and are disposed into landfills everyday.

According to reports, approximately 100 billion single-use plastic bags are disposed into landfills every year in the U.S. So they take up the maximum amount of space in the landfills. Furthermore, these plastic bags disrupt the marine life when disposed into water bodies. Reports suggest that around 100,000 mammals in the sea and around 1 million marine birds die due to the presence of plastic bags in the water bodies.

Choose to Reuse displayed these facts in front of the residents to make them realize the impact of using plastic bags on the ecosystem. The organization spread this message by conducting many presentations and campaigns in the Darien Nature Center. The retailers and shop owners of the town were invited to these events, and the residents were also welcomed by the volunteers of the organization.

Darien Needs to Ban Plastic Bags and to Encourage Promotional Reusable Bags

After a few events, the organization realized that spreading awareness was not enough to reduce the consumption of plastic bags within the region. So, they took inspiration from the laws that were implemented in the other cities in the U.S. Thus, the organization proposed a ban on single-use plastic bags in front of the city council of Darien. The organization won a lot of support for their initiative, but was criticized as well. Therefore, the organization was unsuccessful in getting the ordinance to ban plastic bags approved. But, it still propagates the usage of reusable bags via events and other promotional activities in the city.

Source: http://darien.dailyvoice.com/news/top-stories-2012-darien-shoots-down-plastic-bag-ban