Tracker Pixel for Entry

​IS FARGO OUT OF THE BAG?

News | April 25th, 2016

In recent years environmentalism has come closer to the forefront of political and social discussion. Ever since science has become more vocal about humanity’s effect on the natural world there has been passionate discussion about the subject running the gamut from what needs to be done to accusing environmentalism of being an ideological ploy. In any case there will be a lot of change and a lot of risk no matter what is done.

No discussion of mankind’s effect on the environment would be complete without bringing up that miracle material known as plastic. Made out of extruded oil, it is almost universally used because of its cheapness and ability to be molded into all kinds of shapes. But with those benefits come drawbacks, such as continuing our independence on oil and taking decades, if not centuries, to degrade, and even after that leaving microscopic particles of the material that can affect the local wildlife and environment (just look at the Pacific Garbage Patch).

It’s these kind of considerations that influenced Minneapolis’ recent decision to ban plastic bags from its grocery stores, one of the latest in a chain of these sort of decisions in locations like San Francisco and the entire state of Hawaii. The movement to do so went off surprisingly without a hitch, with the majority of people deciding to support it.

The ban sees the end of plastic shopping bags at the checkout counters, only keeping plastic wrapping around for things like containing produce and meat. Shoppers will be charged five cents each for paper bags and the city is backing an initiative to make sure that everyone has reusable bags to bring grocery shopping.

Is that sort of change on the horizon in Fargo’s future? City Commissioner Mike Williams thinks it could be. Having been re-elected to his position three times since 2004, in 2005 Williams spearheaded the formation of the Renewable Energy and Conservation Committee in Fargo. He was also a former board member and president for the North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy from 2003 to 2010. Under his leadership, several sponsors for renewable energy were found and now there is a renewable energy commission at the state level that provides grants to projects like the Cass County Electrics Prairie Solar Garden.

In 2007, the City of Fargo along with Gate City Bank, the NDSU Ag Department, and the North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy began a reusable bag campaign, with the bags being handed out at any Gate City Bank and bags with built-in snaps being sold at Hornbacher’s for $1 each. “I have at least twenty of them,” Williams says, many of them made from, of all things, recycled plastic, but much more durable than their usual counterparts.

He mentions that in order to get the sort of law in place that Minneapolis has enacted, the city commission would have to work hand-in-hand with the local grocery stores. He remains hopeful about this, especially since the Earth Day Network, the founders of the holiday, voted Fargo the best in country for environmental friendliness in 2007. In fact, ever since the initiative to provide reusable bags, less and less plastic has been finding its way into our landfills.

Williams mentions another possibility in Fargo’s environmental future. “For the past nine months we’ve been studying the pros and cons of single sort recycling.” Single sort recycling means that those who choose to recycle could put all of their recyclables, regardless of material, in the same container and that the material would be sorted out later at the redemption center. “We see an increase in the amount recycled when people don’t sort it themselves due to the convenience, but a larger part of the recycled material is unable to be repurposed due to cross-contamination.” This contaminated material, since it isn’t pure enough to be recycled, unfortunately ends up in the landfill, the whole thing that recycling is meant to avoid. Even though many find it less convenient to sort their recyclables themselves, Williams points out, “Doing the best thing for the environment isn’t always the most convenient.” Despite these potential drawbacks, Williams says that single-sort recycling will likely be put in place in Fargo this year or next.

So if you want to help Fargo move in a cleaner, greener direction, be sure to pick up some reusable bags. You know how the phrase goes, “Reduce, reuse, and recycle.” If we keep this sort of thing up, we may have a future in Fargo that’s free of bags being blown in the wind.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com Ten North Dakota communities will participate in the nationwide No Kings Day of Peaceful Action on October 18. The grassroots movement is a nonviolent protest against President Trump’s…

By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu I would like to recognize some of the scholarly Germans from Russia from Canada and USA shared on the GRHC website. There are additional names not included here. If you have suggestions…

Friday, October 31, doors 8 p.m. show starts at 8:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe annual Aquarium Halloween Cover Show is back and it is stacked. And this time there are a limited amount of presale…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comThat old time religion, filled with love, is no longer good enough In the first “Inherit the Wind” movie about religion and evolution starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Gene Kelly, the…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Now available on Amazon Prime following its world premiere last month as the opening night selection of the Toronto International Film Festival’s golden anniversary, “John Candy: I Like…

By HPR staffsubmit@hpr1.com Mark the first weekend of October on your calendar. It’s the weekend of the Studio Crawl, which takes us all on a wonderful, metro-wide tour of our talented (and often wacky) arts community. On October…

Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com When we are sick, all we want is a cure. You go to the doctor, they give you a pill, you take it for a bit, then you are cured. It happens. But unfortunately, it is not always the case. …

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership  As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…