Who are we?
Zero Waste Providence is a group of residents dedicated to reducing all types of waste disposal in Providence.
Single-Use Plastic Bag Reduction Bill!
Zero Waste Providence led the effort to get single-use plastic bags eliminated in Providence. These bags are being prohibited because of their contribution to plastic pollution and the contamination they cause to the recycling stream which costs the city almost $1,000,000 per year. Clearly, a shift away from single-use plastic requires consumer engagement and behavior change, and nationally, putting a fee on bags at check-out has proven to be an effective incentive for individuals to bring their own bags. Providence’s bill prohibits single-use plastic bags and requires retailers to charge 10 cents for paper or reusable bags.
Moving towards zero waste needs to be a community led effort that brings people together to solve problems in a way that does not perpetuate systemic injustice which burdens low income communities disproportionately. Zero Waste Providence has committed itself to educating people about the bill and to distributing 100,000 reusable bags throughout the city to make sure that every household has reusable bags and can avoid the 10 cent fees.
Zero Waste Providence seeks to promote Providence’s green and sustainable identity by assembling an alliance of sponsoring businesses and non-profit organizations who will help fund this initiative and have their logos on the bags. We’re raising $100,000 to fund the design, production, and distribution of these reusable bags.
Benefits for sponsors
Sponsors will have their logos and branding materials on the streets, in stores, and in homes throughout the city via these 100,000 bags which will be versatile and last a long time.
Sponsors will be seen as progressive, “green”, and supportive of environmental responsibility.
Sponsors will get media attention as the program is one of the most innovative in the country. We fully expect to exploit social media asking for residents to support those businesses and organizations which sponsor the bag effort.
At this point, we’re anticipating finding 20 sponsors who pay $5000 apiece, though clearly, “lead” sponsors who contribute more to the effort can get larger logos or category exclusivity, depending on their contribution.