Plastics producers propose placing more recycling receptacles at California roadside rest stops – let there be much rejoicing – WOO-HOO!  Kinda missing the point, but ya gotta love the 1) feel-good factor of placing more recycling bins at roadside rest stops, and the 2) verrrrry strident green-washing effort on the American Chemistry Council’s part…right? First, check the origin of November’s originating story/press release, and collaboration: “SOURCE American Chemistry Council”, as noted at the bottom of the page.

I think we can all agree that the problem lies (literally and figuratively) on the roadside stretches BETWEEN the rest stops. Much like our oceanic gyres, our roadsides are strewn with trash – most of it plastic bags and bottles. I recently spoke at a local city council meeting considering a bag ban and concerned that I lacked evidence for a convincing argument, I counted plastic bags along the 30 mile drive of the I-5 freeway…and was shocked to tally-up 68 bags – and that was just one side of the highway and did not include areas where I had to pay attention to traffic versus counting the “urban tumbleweeds”.

Bottom line, the plastics manufacturers are again encouraging us to fix their problem of the instant waste by recycling their product. Why are items like extremely durable plastic bottles designed for one fleeting use? Answer: $$$$$$$, baaaaby!

I can still remember the days when you returned your glass drink bottles for redemption – and they’d be sterilized and refilled. But now the burden of dealing with the waste receptacle (plastic bottle) has been shifted/dumped into our laps.

Perhaps the ACC should sponsor some Adopt A Highway areas and put their $$$ where their green(back)-washing mouths are, yes? Much better to set a good example, be a good neighbor, turn a good deed, versus touting the tiresome and distracting rest-stop cosmetic make-overs…here’s the phone number (just in case there’s time to call, between trips to the bank): 1-866-ADOPT-A-HWY