Single use plastic bags can impact streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, and forests and the wildlife that inhabit them. To reduce the impacts of plastic bags, follow the three R’s:
Reduce the Use of Plastic Bags
To reduce plastic bag consumption – always remember to bring your reusable bag when shopping. As an added benefit, you can save $.05 per bag in Montgomery County every time you shop.
However, if you choose to purchase a plastic bag when shopping, those funds are provided to the Department of Environmental Protection for programs that help improve and protect the water quality of the streams and rivers in the County. For more information on these programs, visit Water Quality Protection Chargeand Watershed Restoration.
Reuse Plastic Bags
If you have plastic bags, please use and reuse them to the maximum extent possible.
Recycle plastic bags, films, and wraps
Recycle plastic bags and other types of plastic film at local grocery and retail stores throughout the County. Look for collection bins near store entrances. Find bag and film recycling drop-offs near you using the locator on plasticfilmrecycling.org.
Common plastic bag recycling questions:
What plastic bags, films and wraps are accepted in store recycling programs? Refer to this listof generally accepted plastic from plasticfilmrecycling.org for more details.
Can plastic bags, film, and wrap go in my curbside recycling bin? No, plastic bags are not acceptable in your weekly County-provided curbside recycling collection, so please do not put any plastic bags into your recycling bin.
You’re invited to a screening of the documentary Wasted!: The Story of Food Wasteat the Bethesda Landmark Theaters. The screening will be followed by a discussion and Q & A with local food waste experts. This screening is brought to you by Montgomery County, Bethesda Green and the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.
The Details:
Thursday, April 19th at 7pm
Bethesda Landmark Theaters at 7235 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
After the screening, we are pleased to welcome these amazing speakers to talk about what individuals, businesses and the Montgomery County community can do about food waste.
Maryanne Culpepper is the Executive Director of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital and an award-winning writer/filmmaker with extensive experience in developing, writing and producing high-profile documentaries and nonfiction series. She is the former President of National Geographic Studios, where she oversaw development and production of 100+ hours of factual programming annually. She recently coproduced Vamizi: Cradle of Coral, a film on the coral reefs of Mozambique, now in international distribution, as well as video and editorial content for a traveling exhibition for science museums. She is an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs and serves on the Advisory Council for the Cuba Environmental Film Festival and for Women in Film and Video. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and an Affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Cheryl Kollin is the Program Director of Community Food Rescue, a program of Manna Food Center in Montgomery County, Maryland. Community Food Rescue, takes a systems approach to reducing wasted food and increasing good food to people experiencing hunger. Cheryl is a business consultant in local sustainable food systems. She earned her MBA in sustainable business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. She’s a founding member of the Montgomery County Food Council.
Dan Keiper, currently the Sodexo Dining Services Operations Manager atAsbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, MD., has been involved in senior dining since his entry into the work force in 1978. Prior to his coming AMV, Daniel, who is a graduate of George Mason University, has been in management roles in senior communities around the D,.C. area such as Manor Care Arlington, Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Knollwood, and the Jefferson by Sunrise.
Tanya Spandhla was born and raised in Zimbabwe. Growing up, her parents instilled in her the importance of growing your own produce. It is from this upbringing that inspired her to develop a passion for farming. After exploring numerous opportunities on how she could continue gardening in the US she became a member and active participant of the Montgomery Community Gardening in Germantown, MD since 2010. In 2015, she became part of the New Farmer Pilot Project program initiated by the Montgomery County Dept. of Agriculture in conjunction with the Montgomery Countryside Alliance through the Land Link program. She is in her third year of growing a wide range of vegetables & grains catering to the ever-changing diversity and appetite of Montgomery County and beyond. She has a 3-acre leased farm, which is meaningfully & fittingly named “Passion to Seed Gardening.” Besides farming, Tanya works for an IT company in Rockville.
Janet Ranganathanis the Vice President for Science and Research at the World Resources Institute (WRI), an action-oriented global research organization that works in more than 50 countries. She ensures WRI’s research is robust and its strategies evidence-based. She is a co-author of the World Resources Report, Creating a Sustainable Food Future which defines a menu of scalable solutions for how the world can adequately feed more than 9 billion people by 2050 while advancing economic development and reducing pressure on the environment.
The DC region will host the 25th annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (EFF) from March 14th-26th. The festival is a showcase of environmental documentaries, shorts and movies from around the world. Many of the screenings feature panel discussions or talks by those behind the camera.
In Montgomery County, there will be screenings the AFI Silver Spring, including the Beekeeper and his Son, The Red Turtle and Kedi.
We hope to see you at the movies! If you attend a screening, tell us about your experience by tweeting us at @MyGreenMC.
View the full schedule as a PDF.
The Environmental Film Festival is Coming to GreenFest!
For the third year in a row, GreenFest is partnering with EFF to show documentaries at the May 6th environmental festival at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg.
This year, we’re screening a series of short films from the larger festival. The schedule of shorts will be announced soon at montgomerycountygreenfest.org
About the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital
The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital is the world’s premier showcase of environmentally themed films. Through our annual festival, year-round events, and online resources, we seek to advance public understanding of the environment through the power of film.
Each March in Washington, DC, we host the largest environmental film festival in the United States, presenting more than 150 films to an audience of over 27,000. Often combined with thematic discussions and social events, our films screen at museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters. Many of our screenings are free.
DCEFF also partners with filmmakers, distributors, and venues to present environmental films throughout the year. Our Washington, DC location offers the unique ability for films and filmmakers to reach national decision makers.
Founded in 1993, DCEFF is the longest-running environmental film festival in the United States. It has grown into a major collaborative cultural event both during the festival season and all year-round.
In this episode of My Green Montgomery TV, hosted by Susan Stark, we’re going to see what is being installed on some county buildings, take you to the H2O Summit, tell you how you can celebrate Earth Day, and preview what you can expect at the Montgomery County GreenFest.
The seventh episode of My Green Montgomery TV was launched on YouTube and County Cable on March 31st, 2016.
The Montgomery County GreenFest is partnering with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital for a special screening of the popular and inspirational documentary, E.O. Wilson: Of Ants and Men.
E.O. Wilson: Of Ants and Men was a hit at this year’s Film Festival that just concluded last week and was featured in 2015 on PBS.
How to Watch the Film:
Screening starts at 2:30pm, runs 90 minutes, in the Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium (Come early to enjoy the rest of GreenFest!)
It’s free!
Ticketing method has yet to be determined. The theater has a capacity of 154
Watch The Preview:
About E.O. Wilson – Of Ants and Men
When biologist E.O. Wilson discovered in the 1960s that ants use pheromones to structure their complex societies, he opened the door to a vastly expanded sense of our environment – and the limits of our ability to perceive it. From “biodiversity” to “biophilia,” few living thinkers have contributed more vital concepts to our understanding of the natural world. E.O. Wilson: Of Ants and Men traces his journey of discovery from its inception, through moments of controversy, and into his recent conservation work in Mozambique.
Directed by Shelley Schulze. Produced by Shining Red Productions, Inc. Writer and Executive Producer: Graham Townsley.Read more about the film
Community Calendar
October 23, 2018
Join OMG for a Tour of Covanta
October 23, 2018 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm 21204 Martinsburg Rd, Dickerson, MD 20842
Recycle plastic bags, films, and wraps
