Skip the Bag, Save the River

January 5, 2010 | Clean Water, Protecting Rivers, Restoring Rivers

Caitlin Jennings
Communications Associate

2010 is off to a good start here in Washington, D.C., where American Rivers is headquartered.  Thanks to multiple advocacy groups and unanimous support from the city council, an unprecedented law took effect that could help save our local Anacostia River.  As of January 1, Washingtonians will pay 5 cents per plastic bag. 

While this will help the river because most of the money from the law will go to cleaning up the Anacostia, the city council and proponents are hoping that it will also reduce the many plastic bags that make up the main pollutants of the river.  That is why Mayor Adrian Fenty is encouraging people to “Skip the Bag, Save the River,” and is giving out free reusable bags to kick off the initiative. 

This is the first law of its kind in the U.S. but, hopefully, it will inspire other communities to minimize waste and look out for their rivers.  

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