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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Paper and plastic disposable bags are distributed
3extensively throughout our society and are typically disposed
4of after their initial use; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The rate of recycling of paper and plastic
6disposable bags is extremely low, accounting for only 1-3% of
7plastic bags and only 13-15% of paper bags; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Paper and plastic disposable bags consume
9valuable natural resources in their production, increase waste
10generation, and contribute to litter; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The impact of single-use retail plastic and paper
12bags imposes a high cost on citizens in terms of recycling,
13landfill space, sewer cleanup costs, and environmental damage;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, One million birds and 100,000 mammals are killed
16annually from plastic in our environment; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Improper disposal results in plastic bags
18becoming windblown through our streets and parks, clogging our
19storm drains and sewers and degrading our soils and waterways;
20and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Those plastic bags that are blown or washed into
2our waterways may threaten the lives of avian and marine
3species through entanglement, choking, and toxicity; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Plastic bags, when landfilled, do not biodegrade
5and remain intact for many decades; those that remain in the
6environment photo-degrade into very small particles that may be
7consumed by wildlife, diminishing and contaminating a part of
8our food chain; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Locally, plastic bags must be screened out of yard
10waste collections; they contaminate food scrap composting
11facilities and have jammed the mechanical parts of recycling
12balers and sewage treatment systems; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Single use plastics such as Styrofoam, clamshell
14containers, and plastic bags, are unsustainable products,
15manufactured from petroleum and natural gas; the energy used in
16the production and transportation of plastic bags results in
17unnecessary natural resource consumption and increased
18greenhouse gas emissions; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The impacts of plastic bag use and pollution have
20ignited a global movement to dramatically reduce the amount of
21disposable plastic bags distributed; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, There are successful plastic bag recycling
2programs that exist throughout the country; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Convenient locations for the collection of
4plastic bags to be recycled needs to be established; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Retail store employee awareness initiatives to
6reduce wasteful bagging practices needs to be increased; and
 
7    WHEREAS, A program needs to be established in order to
8promote the recycling of plastic and paper bags and the use of
9reusable bags; and
 
10    WHEREAS, A unified and coordinated
11education/advocacy/recycling program of this nature will
12reflect a meaningful and positive step forward towards reducing
13litter and plastic bag waste; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Many states have successfully enacted ordinances
15banning or restricting the use of plastic bags; and
 
16    WHEREAS, These measures will help educate schools that need
17to know about recycling waste; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
2declare the first Friday of May 2016 as "Thin Film Friday"; and
3be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That "Thin Film Friday" is established in the
5State of Illinois as an effort to reclaim used thin-film
6plastic bags and to encourage consumers to use reusable bags.