Alderman seeks to put Chicago in Forefront of Environmental Sustainability with Proposed Plastic Ban
Alderman Scott Waguespack (32) holds a press conference with members of environmental groups and students from William H. Ray Elementary School to introduce the Plastic-free Water Ordinance in City Hall. Photo by Abel Rodriguez.
Chicago - On Wednesday Jan. 15, minutes before Mayor Lightfoot slammed her gavel and addressed the city council, Alderman Scott Waguespack (32) introduced a proposal to ban single-use plastics in Chicago by 2021.
The Plastic-Free Water Ordinance was drafted by Ald. Waguespack and several environmental agencies like the Illinois Environmental Council, Alliance for Great Lake, the Recycling Coalition and students from William H. Ray Elementary. The proposal seeks to reduce the amount of waste piling in Lake Michigan and the many rivers within the city by eliminating single-use plastics with the exception of plastic water bottles. If passed the ordinance would make Chicago the largest city in the United States to ban single-use plastics.
“We have some of the greatest resources for water here in Chicago. We have the great lakes, we have a river, but both of these need to get cleaned up,” said Waguespack. “When I take my kayak or canoe down to the lake or down river, one of the things I’m constantly doing is looking at the piles of trash, especially the small plastics like straws and bottles that collect on the levees and sides of the beaches.”
Currently, the City of Chicago only recycles nine percent of the total waste collected, most of it finds its way to landfills. Of the nine percent that is recycled, Ald. Waguespack cited that it just gets shipped to countries like Malaysia where it also sits and is not recycled.
Jennifer Walling of the Illinois Environmental Council said that this ordinance “focuses on reducing the amount of trash out there and reducing the amount of litter” before it finds its way into Lake Michigan or other bodies of water.
The proposed ordinance seeks to eliminate things like disposable straw, plates, cups and utensils from all restaurants in the city. Single-use straws and utensils will be given out if requested by an individual come Jan. 1, 2021. Ald. Waguespack and Jennifer Wallings cited concerns from people with disabilities when deciding to make disposable straw available upon request.
When asked where Mayor Lightfoot stood with the proposal Ald. Waguespack said, “she [Mayor Lightfoot] is trying to move forward on sustainable practices for the entire city.”
Ald. Geroge Cardenas (12), Ald. Michele Smith (42), Ald. Daniel La Spata (1), Samantha Nugent (39), Ald. Andre Vasquez (40), Ald. Brian Hopkins (2), Ald. Matt Martin (47), Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza have already sponsored the ordinance. It is set to move onto the public comment phase; there has been no date set for a final vote.