Sustainability Focus: Waste Reduction
The League of Women Voters carefully selects its top issues and forms action groups each year. Sustainability has been a significant issue in St. Petersburg and across the United States for the past few years. We have channeled our efforts to focus on waste reduction to lessen our impact on the environment and keep Pinellas County cleaner.
What Does Waste Reduction Mean?
Waste reduction is a waste management strategy that encourages people to generate less waste through practices such as the reduction of single-use products, reusing materials instead of throwing them away, composting, repairing items, and recycling. Waste reduction helps conserve resources and contributes to a cleaner environment.
How Do We Reduce Waste?
Every person can take steps individually to reduce waste. From bringing reusable bags to the grocery store to investing in a water bottle for the gym instead of buying a plastic one each day. Here are a few of our focuses for waste reduction to keep items out of landfills.
Curbside Recycling
Curbside recycling was a key issue of the LWVSPA sustainability committee in 2015. Our tireless volunteers researched the benefits of recycling, learned how recycling helped other cities the size of St. Petersburg, and lobbied the city to bring recycling services to residents. We also launched information campaigns to teach residents what they can and can’t recycle.
You can learn more about the journey we took to implement St. Pete curbside recycling, along with other groups and organizations that we worked with along the way, on our St. Petersburg curbside recycling page.
St. Pete Straw Ban
In December 2018, the St. Petersburg City Council voted to ban single-use plastic straws at food service establishments and to ban the use of Styrofoam products on city-owned property and at city-sponsored events.
The LWVSPA Sustainability Action Team advocated alongside Suncoast Rise Above Plastics. Suncoast Surfrider, the Suncoast Sierra Club, Chart 411, Environment Florida, and other environmental organizations for the ban. The ban passed on polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) on City land and facilities; as well as single-use plastic straws (with medical exemptions).
Get Involved
You don’t have to wait for our next committee meeting or event to start making St. Petersburg more sustainable! Here are three steps you can take today to learn more about what we do, what we value, and how you can help.
- Request to join our LWVSPA Sustainability Google Group listserv.
- Check the calendar for our next Sustainability committee meeting or event.
- Check out our monthly updates. Find out how you can take action by calling your representatives or supporting your local community.
About the LWVSPA Sustainability Action Committee
The League of Women Voters sustainability committee advocates for issues like solar power and other renewable energy resources, waste reduction, and environmental protection. The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government.