ENC Single Use Plastic and Zero Waste Policy
To reduce our impact on the Earth’s resources and address waste management issues moving forward into the next millennium, the ENC diverts over 97% or more of its waste from the landfill. The ENC was awarded TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum Certification by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), recognizing our outstanding zero waste performance. Through sustainable waste management practices, the ENC prioritizes waste reduction, resource conservation, and public health benefits, continuing its leadership in sustainable practices.
Staff, visitors and volunteers may not bring any Styrofoam or single-use plastics on site for any reason*. These items will not be allowed on any ENC campus (including the ENC Nature Preschool and Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary). Any person attempting to bring these items on site will be asked to appropriately dispose of them off site in an environmentally responsible, sustainable manner.
To further clarify, the following items are not allowed onto ENC property:
- Single use plastic water bottles, cups, straws, plates, utensils or table coverings. This includes disposable coffee cups w/ plastic lids and biocompostable plastic, as there are no local facilities to process biocompostables.
- Styrofoam “to go” containers, cups or plates.
- Plastic grocery bags.
- Balloons.
While many plastics can be recycled, the byproducts created from the fabrication and disposal of plastic can be harmful, and the energy used to produce and recycle single use plastics can be conserved through the use of more permanent, sustainable materials. The ENC aims to encourage our constituency to re-think the products we use and consume, and learn to live a less disposable lifestyle rather than settling for recycling. Recycling is the last choice—after Reduce and Reuse.
The purpose of this policy is to assure that ENC provides a good example to our community through modeling the most environmentally responsible behaviors. The ENC encourages staff to practice these behaviors off campus as well.
*Unless it is to use them in a program as an educational tool.
