MENU

Sections

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Editors and Writers
    • Join our Mailing List
    • Letters to Editor Policy
    • Advertising & Underwriting
    • Code of Ethics
    • Privacy
    • Talbot Spy Terms of Use
  • Art and Design
  • Culture and Local Life
  • Public Affairs
    • Ecosystem
    • Education
    • Health
    • Senior Life
  • Community Opinion
  • Sign up for Free Subscription
  • Donate to the Talbot Spy
  • Cambridge Spy

More

  • Support the Spy
  • About Spy Community Media
  • Advertising with the Spy
  • Subscribe
June 30, 2025

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Editors and Writers
    • Join our Mailing List
    • Letters to Editor Policy
    • Advertising & Underwriting
    • Code of Ethics
    • Privacy
    • Talbot Spy Terms of Use
  • Art and Design
  • Culture and Local Life
  • Public Affairs
    • Ecosystem
    • Education
    • Health
    • Senior Life
  • Community Opinion
  • Sign up for Free Subscription
  • Donate to the Talbot Spy
  • Cambridge Spy
3 Top Story Point of View Angela

It Takes a Community…by Angela Rieck

February 20, 2020 by Angela Rieck

Ridding the world of single-use plastics is a goal, not a reality.  But every step gets us closer.

I got interested in improving my own plastic footprint last summer. It began a journey of discovery.

Fortunately, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) started before me.  In 2018, the CBMM president, Kristen Greenaway, and the president of the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Ct. decided to set a benchmark for reducing single-use plastic for maritime museums and their communities.  

Ms. Greenaway tasked Jill Ferris and Allison Speight with leading a team to device ways to eliminate single use plastics for the museum and events.   

Thus began CBMM’s journey of awareness, frustration, education and enlightenment.

It isn’t as easy as it sounds.  

First, they reviewed their own use of single-use plastics and developed internal solutions. For example, in what I think is a very charming application, they changed holiday gift giving to encourage reusable, regifted or thrift store purchases.

In looking at the museum at large they discovered some relatively easy solutions, e.g., paper bags instead of plastic bags in the gift shop; wire ties instead of plastic zip ties.

But others were more complicated.  For example, the ubiquitous plastic water bottle. Visitors, guests and staff members need water, especially in the summer months. CBMM added a second water fountain, offered thermos’ for sale in the gift shop and are selling canned water.  Yep, that’s right, water comes in cans and almost 50% of cans are recycled compared to only 8% of plastic bottles.

One of the most challenging areas to tackle has been events, especially the larger ones such as the Sea Glass Festival and Watermen Appreciation Day.  

For smaller events they are purchasing glassware and dishwashers.  But glassware is not practical for larger events.

They chose compostable silverware and dinnerware.  But, like everything, it is not that simple. Many compostable products require commercial composting. It took a while, but they are in the process of locating a commercial composter.

But of course, recycling only works when items are correctly sorted.  So, they need to make sure that visitors put their trash and recyclables in the appropriate bins.  To be successful, they get dirty. Yep, that means dumpster diving into the recyclables bin to re-sort any inappropriate material and actively educating visitors.

They have discovered that there is a lot to learn and a lot of information to disseminate.  To support the larger community CBMM has formed a Plastic-Free Roundtable that provides quarterly meetings and field trips for local organizations and community members. All working toward the goal of reducing our plastic footprint.

The work continues, because like me, they have discovered single-use plastic is hiding everywhere, from vendor supplies, to lunch boxes, to well-meaning visitors.

Ferris says that the most important takeaway is to look at the complete product lifecycle.  When we purchase any item, we need to think about its entire cycle which doesn’t end when we consume it.

For those who are interested in seeing their progress, CBMM has posted a sustainability page to chronicle their journey.  

They have learned what I am now learning, it will take a larger community to reduce our plastics footprint.  

Fortunately, we have a great one here on the Eastern Shore.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 3 Top Story, Angela Tagged With: CBMM, Plastic

Making a Small Difference by Angela Rieck

January 24, 2020 by Angela Rieck

After despairing about the world that we are leaving our children, I vowed to change the only thing that I could…myself. I began with my environmental habits.  

My first mission: reduce my use of plastic.  When I mentioned my mission to friends, many were interested and suggested that I write a column about it, to share what I have learned.  

The first step was to educate myself…and I learned a lot, all the good that I thought I was doing, I wasn’t doing so good.  

It quickly became clear that with a few simple changes I could reduce my plastic use by 12 pounds a year. Doesn’t sound like much does it?  But when you think about how little plastic weighs, it actually is a lot…and imagine the impact if everyone did it!

Why is this important?  Our plastics crisis has reached scary proportions.  There are now 3 islands of plastic floating in the oceans, one island, dubbed the Great Pacific Garbage Path is two times the area of the state of Texas.  Every year 12.7 million tons of plastic enters the ocean.  Our seas, rivers and landfills are choking. Here are some of the sickening numbers:

  • 2 million plastic bags are used every minute. 
  • More than ½ billion plastic straws are used daily.
  • More than 480 billion plastic water bottles were sold in 2016.
  • 500 trillion plastic cups are used per year.

The plastic isn’t going anywhere. It takes 1,000 years to decompose.  My first inclination was to say that this problem was too big for me…but of course, that is the reason to do it.

So, I have simplified reducing plastic use into 3 basic areas; all easily “doable” without a major lifestyle change.

Reduce single-use plastic. Single-use plastic is just what it sounds, plastic that we use once and discard.  Imagine if we reused all plastic, definitionally that would reduce our plastic use by half. 

So, how to do it? Well we all know about bringing our own grocery bags, not using bottled water. But there is a lot more. I challenge you to walk down the supermarket aisle with an eye toward finding single-use plastic. You will be amazed at how much there is.  

I now choose products that use the least amount of plastic.  There are simple choices, for example, I don’t buy pre-bagged produce; I select my own and use re-usable produce bags (available through Amazon or any environmentally focused website).  (You can also just bring in the produce bags that you used the last time and re-use them.)

Here is a simple example.  Raisin Bread. I noticed that one brand was cellophane wrapped and then sealed in a bag, the other was directly sealed in the bag without the cellophane wrap. I purchased the one without the cellophane wrap. Then I reused the bread bag. Yea, it can be that simple. 

There are opportunities at home as well. Rinse out plastic storage bags and re-use them. Use containers to store leftovers instead of plastic wrap.  

I would love to hear other suggestions from readers.  

Increase Demand for Recycled Plastic. There is also a recycling crisis. The amount of plastic recyclables dramatically outstrips the demand for recycled plastic. China is now refusing to take our plastic recyclables.

Let’s face it, most containers are plastic. I look for products sold in recycled plastic containers (e.g., shampoo, laundry detergent, frozen dinners). I also buy toilet paper, paper towels, etc., made from recycled paper. My goal is to increase the demand for recycled products.

Be Smart about Recycling.  The last step is being smart about recycling.  In the past, I tried to put everything in the recycling bin, only to find out that they were not properly prepared, so they were headed for the landfill. Our recyclables vendor, Republic, has a simple mantra—empty, clean, dry.  Make sure that recyclables are empty, rinsed out and dry (I now put them in the dishwasher before I put them in the recycling bin). Here are some sites that help:

What can be recycled in your area: 

Recycling locations on Kent County
Recycling locations in Talbot County

There is a lot more, of course, I bought shoes made of recycled plastic (that’s right, Rothys!). I use durable plastic storage bags (that can be cleaned in the dishwasher); beeswax cloth to replace plastic wrap (not loving it yet); containers to store leftovers rather than plastic wrap.  It is easy to get creative.

WARNING: if you drank the “reduce plastics” Kool-Aid, do NOT throw out plastic containers, plastic bags, etc. that you already have, they are going to the landfill anyway.  Just replace them with eco-friendly products when you run out.

There is a lot of information available on the Internet and online stores that offer eco-friendly products. More good news, eco-friendly products are available on Amazon. 

It has been a fun learning experience.  I am enjoying the challenge. I hope that you can be inspired to join and help make this right.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 3 Top Story, Angela Tagged With: Plastic

Copyright © 2025

Affiliated News

  • The Chestertown Spy
  • The Talbot Spy

Sections

  • Arts
  • Culture
  • Ecosystem
  • Education
  • Mid-Shore Health
  • Culture and Local Life
  • Shore Recovery
  • Spy Senior Nation

Spy Community Media

  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising & Underwriting

Copyright © 2025 · Spy Community Media Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in