Welcome to No Waste NOLA!

NO WASTE NOLA has a lot going on this month, so check out the info below and be sure to connect with us!
No Waste NOLA is dedicated to educating the residents of New Orleans regarding the harm caused by plastic pollution and enacting change through local popular support. We need to encourage our elected officials to implement waste-reduction policies, so we can continue to thrive as a recovering city.

Summer Social

Join us at Bayou Beer Garden on September 17 at 6:00 PM for No Waste NOLA’s first ever social! Meet the activists, learn about our cause, and just hang out. We’ll provide information on how to get involved.

Become a member, and snag a No Waste NOLA tote bag and other goodies. See you there!

No Waste NOLA’s Letter to the Editor

Did you see our letter to the editor of the New Orleans Advocate in May? The letter sparked discussion and exposure within our community about the harms caused by single use plastic bags and other pollution.

Have we been in your neighborhood?

No Waste NOLA members have been visiting Neighborhood Associations to garner residents’ support for a single-use plastic bag ban. We’ve been to Fauburg Marigny, Faubourg St. John, Parkview, Mid City Neighborhood Organization, and the Carrolton Riverbend Neighborhood Organization.

Don’t see your neighborhood on the list?

Let us know when your next meeting is, and we’ll send a representative

UPCOMING EVENTS

SEPT 17 6PM Summer Social, Bayou Beer Garden
SEPT 26 6PM Get out the Vote, Howlin’ Wolf
OCT 1 6PM Volunteer Orientation

Plastic Bag Ban Petition

The No Waste NOLA petition to eliminate single use plastic bags in the city of New Orleans almost has the 1,000 signatures we need. Help us create a more sustainable New Orleans by signing and sharing the petition today!

The widespread reliance on single-use plastic bags by retailers is economically inefficient, environmentally destructive and aesthetically unpleasant.

Other cities have taken steps to ban or reduce the distribution of these bags, and it’s time that New Orleans moves to provide a cleaner, greener environment for its citizens.

As one of the most environmentally jeopardized cities on the planet, and one of the largest tourist destinations in the American South, New Orleans should lead the charge to improve its visual appeal and ecological impact.

When retailers give away “free” plastic bags, they pass their increased overhead costs onto consumers through higher prices. Furthermore, these bags often end up as litter, which costs the city money to clean up.

Some people may attempt to reuse these bags, but this limited reuse is vastly outstripped by their distribution. Ultimately, the throw-away nature of single-use plastic bags harms consumers, businesses and the environment. Only the bag manufacturers benefit.

The plastic bag manufacturing process emits pollutants and contributes to climate change. In New Orleans, sea level rise threatens the very ground beneath our feet, while an ever-expanding dead zone wreaks havoc on our fisheries.

Unfortunately, marine wildlife often mistake plastic bags for food and die from their consumption. With an economy so dependent on seafood, it is irresponsible to allow these hazards to continue to threaten our fisheries and economy.

Finally, plastic pollution is ugly; New Orleans is beautiful. We have architecture, traditions and entertainment unlike any other city. When tourists arrive and see plastic bags blowing in the wind, littering our parks and marring our waterways, it detracts from the aesthetics of this incredible city. Tourism is the backbone of the New Orleans economy. We must not permit litter, especially preventable litter like single-use plastic bags, to detract from the value that tourists and locals place on New Orleans.

The residents of New Orleans deserve a cleaner and more environmentally friendly city. Banning the single-use plastic bag is the right choice for the environment, for businesses and for consumers. Forward-thinking cities around the country, including Austin, Texas; Washington D.C.; and San Francisco, have already banned the bags. It’s time for New Orleans to do the right thing.

Max Ciolino
president, NO Waste NOLA

In the link below is a petition to eliminate single-use plastic bags in New Orleans. Please sign and share this petition through your network. We will deliver the petition signatures to the City Council, along with our proposed legislation to reduce plastic waste in New Orleans.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/eliminate-plastic-bags-new-orleans/