WHEREAS, While most plastic products help make our lives safer, healthier and more productive, certain classes of plastic are not being disposed of or reused in a way that is environmentally conscientious; and
WHEREAS, 44% of all plastic ever manufactured has been made since the year 2000, and 40% of plastic produced is discarded shortly after purchase; and
WHEREAS, Less than 20% of the plastic produced each year globally is recycled, including just 9% of total plastic consumption and less than 1% of flexible plastic products; and
WHEREAS, Recycling facilities in the United States and abroad are not currently adapted to manage the large loads of flexible plastic products that result from changing consumer preferences; and
WHEREAS, It is necessary to rethink disposal infrastructures to find innovative technologies and practical solutions to reduce the City’s carbon footprint while conferring other benefits including improved sanitation, job creation and cost savings to both the government and the consumer; and
WHEREAS,
Philadelphia has an opportunity to leverage new technologies to improve the public health of our residents, reduce the amount of waste in our streets, and create operational and budgetary efficiencies that will benefit the City tremendously; and
WHEREAS, By incorporating best practices including new technologies, Philadelphia will be taking steps toward being a global leader in urban environmental policy, thereby providing a model upon which other cities can build; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby authorizes Council’s Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold hearings to examine best practices regarding the reduction of the negative environmental impacts of flexible plastic products in the City of Philadelphia.
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