plastic ban

Alachua County had an overall recycling rate of 68% in 2018, ranking third-highest in Florida. But Klugh said the public waste department must continue to educate residents about what should and should not be recycled – especially since the market for recyclables is down.

The Alachua County Library Headquarters Branch hosted an event to educate on local sustainability to reduce plastic waste after the repeal of the plastic bag ban.

Deliberation on the motion to appeal Alachua County's ban on Styrofoam carry-out containers and single-use plastic bags took less than 20 minutes.

Gainesville got a little cleaner this past weekend as about 160 volunteers collected 19,121 pounds of trash during the fifth annual Clean Creek Revival, according to Megan Black, executive director of Current Problems, a nonprofit environmental group.

The City of Gainesville passed a plastic ban earlier this year. Some local scientists see this ordinance as a good first step, but don't think it goes far enough. Here are their proposals:

Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos has throughout 2018 driven the effort for “zero waste” Gainesville.