Mainstream Green gives 3,500 reusable bags to area food pantries
Food pantries across Onondaga County have been receiving donations of reusable shopping bags for their clients from the Camillus- based nonprofit, Mainstream Green.
Mainstream Green is the same group that in 2017 staged the first ever Guinness World Records Title attempt for most reusable shopping bags distributed in a day.
“We’ve been promoting reusable bags for years because disposable plastic bags are a waste of oil and gas used to produce them and they’re also hazardous to wild life, clean water and human health.” Dana Johnston, Mainstream Green’s founder, said. “We launched this year’s program for food pantry clients because New York’s new plastic bag law will be taking effect early in 2020, and we wanted to be sure that people with limited resources had some nice, sturdy bags to use.”
So far the program has been met with enthusiasm by food pantry managers.
“Our clients were thrilled to receive their brand new reusable bags. Not only do they plan on using them at our Center, but at other food pantries… and the grocery store.” Stephanie Bingham, coordinator at the PEACE, Inc. Westside Family Resource Center, said.
“Plymouth Food Pantry has been encouraging the use of reusable bags among our clients, which has already led to many bringing their own bags and backpacks,” Plymouth Church Food Pantry Coordinator Cyndi Signorelli said. “With the increased availability of reusable bags and with the incentives we are offering for them to be brought back, most of our clients will make a habit of using only reusable bags at our pantry and elsewhere. Our hope is to become an example for others so more and more people change their habits… and help rid the environment of single use plastic bags.”
720,000 plastic shopping bags are consumed in the United States every minute. Americans throw away 100 billion bags each year. Since plastic bags are a petroleum product, this is the equivalent of dumping out 12 million barrels of oil every year.
Food pantries in Syracuse, Skaneateles, Marcellus, Camillus, and Cicero have already received bags. Although more deliveries are scheduled for other Onondaga County towns, there are some pantries that will not be receiving bags.
“Unfortunately, there are more clients of food pantries in the county, than we have bags at this time,” Steve Williams, a Mainstream Green volunteer and board member, said. “We are hoping that people who hear of our program will also provide strong, reusable bags to food pantries in their communities. In fact, we’d like to challenge groups in other New York Counties to do the same thing we did: get great reusable bags and give them to food pantry clients in their county. I’d like to see them beat our record this fall, which is 3,500 bags.”
Mainstream Green Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit staffed by volunteers and uses media and high visibility public events to draw attention to the ways that ordinary people can help create the climate turnaround we desperately need.
To learn more visit mainstreamgreen.org.
Submitted photos
Mainstream Green based in Camillus, recently donated 3,500 reusable bags to area food pantries.
