Plastic Free Savannah

On May 27th, the City Council unanimously passed a single use plastics resolution committing City of Savannah operations to phasing out single use, non-essential plastics like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, cups, utensils, and most plastic food packaging (including expanded polystyrene foam takeout containers) within 12 months.

These are all plastics for which there are broadly available alternatives.  The City of Savannah is phasing out the purchase of these plastics and will be moving to non-plastic alternatives.  

Recognize Ms. Kathryn Murph (she is in attendance) , President of ABR Digital Office Solutions. ABR manages the services contract for all the City’s printers.   Upon hearing about the City’s push to reduce single use plastics she immediately reached out to setup a program to recycle all the City’s printing cartridges.   

The city is partnering with ABR Digital Office Solutions to recycle printer cartridges from City facilities, keeping them out of our landfill and getting them reused.  

 As part of this commitment, the City will be building a program to help support community transition away from single use plastics.  This includes resources on alternatives to single use plastic, recognition of business and organizations that take the pledge to reduce their plastics, and applying for grant funding to assist small, local and minority owned businesses who want to transition away from single use plastics.

July is Plastic Free Month!  Join millions of people around the world who have taken the pledge to be part of the solution to plastic pollution.  Visit www.plasticfreejuly.org, take the pledge to reduce single use plastics.   

The City of Savannah is committed to protecting our environment, our waterways, streets, local economy and public health.  This plastics reduction initiative is a sign of that commitment.  It is also a call to our community – to our residents, and our private and nonprofit sector partners.  Join us!  Pledge to protect our community and our precious coastal ecosystems by phasing out single use plastics.

 #plasticfreesavannah