Ordering to go may take three easy steps, but plastic bags won’t break down for 10 to 20 years. As takeaway sales continue to skyrocket, so does the waste of single-use plastic bags.
Flagstaff’s Azulita Project has launched an initiative to change that. The Tote Ally Reusable Bag Program is encouraging restaurants and the public to use reusable bags for take away orders, but with a twist. As soon as the customers are done with the bags, they return them to one of the Azulita Project’s donation points so that they can be disinfected and put back into circulation.
Emily Melhorn is the program manager for the Azulita project.
“This is an important part of really tackling the reduction in single-use plastic bag waste that is generated at roadside pick-up [and] Deliveries, ”said Melhorn.
The Azulita Project is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 in the Los Llanos area of Guerrero, Mexico. The focus of the project was on developing solutions to reduce plastic waste from the ocean. In Flagstaff, the Azulita project focuses on reducing plastic waste through educational programs and events.
Melhorn said reusable bags have become popular for grocery shopping but not for takeout orders. She hopes this new project will educate the community about the benefits of circulating reusable bags.
“It has to be a model where the bag is seen as a community asset and used over and over again by the community,” Melhorn said.
Residents can donate bags at the Flagstaff Visitor Center, Mountain Sports Flagstaff, and Stronghold Coffee Co.
Residents can also drop off bags at the Flagstaff Community Farmers Market from May through October.
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