MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — One of Mobile’s most prominent environmental groups is trying to cut off plastic pollution before it starts. Mobile Baykeeper is looking for more businesses to join their “Reduce the Use” program.
Reduce the use started in 2020. It’s funded by the NOAA Marine Debris grant. The program is in partnership with the Downtown Mobile Alliance and Plastic Free Gulf Coast. Businesses that partner with Mobile Baykeeper get help looking at ways to reduce dependence on single-use plastic containers and bottles and replace them with reusable items or compostable materials.
Single-use plastics can be found in just about every waterway in our area.
“Plastic pollution is a major problem for Mobile Bay and the delta and the best way to reduce that is sort of eliminate plastic at its source. And cut down on consumption,” said Caine O’Rear with Mobile Baykeeper. He argues this program helps the environment while asking businesses to make substantial changes. “It’s kind of like when they talked about banning smoking in the 90’s, they said bars will lose so many customers if you eliminate smoking what we found is that it’s something that generates business in a lot of ways.”
Baykeeper says they have 19 businesses as part of the program. Many of them are food service businesses. They also promote their switch to fewer plastic products. These single-use items are so ubiquitous and hard to dispose of that the best way to fight back is to use them less or eliminate the need for them in the first place. For more information click here.
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