Page 82 - Plastics News December 2019

iNtErNAtioNAL NEws

Troy University receives $2.7M Massachusetts Senate takes up

grant to advance plastics recycling bill to ban plastic bags statewide

he National Institute of Standards and Technology ustomers could be forced to pay for paper bags
T(NIST), an agency of the United States Department Cat check out counters across the state now that
of Commerce that’s based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the Senate released a bill to ban plastic bags. The
has awarded Troy University, Troy, Alabama, with a $2.7 state Senate is scheduled to debate a bill banning
million research grant to be used by the university’s single-use plastic bags “While Massachusetts may
Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences to not be able to tackle the proliferation of plastics
research new methods for recycling plastics. According worldwide, we can take concrete action at home,”
Senate President Karen Spilka said. “Implementing a
statewide ban on plastic bags, and encouraging the
use of reusable bags, is an important first step.” The
bill requires retailers to charge at least 10 cents for
a recycled paper bag at check out and designates
five cents from each sale to go to the city or town
for the cost of enforcing the ban and other recycling
efforts. The remainder can be used to supplement
the costs of providing paper bags for retailers. Over
100 cities and towns in Massachusetts have passed
to a news release from Troy University, the four-year local laws to ban plastic, so the bill would preempt
grant will fund instrumentation, staffing of scientists and existing plastic bag bans for consistency. Plastic bags
research stipends for students. would still be allowed for specific products, such as
produce, poultry or other food items, to keep them
This grant, which follows a $3.2 million NIST grant Troy fresh, or for frozen foods or items prone to leak.Small
University received in 2018, will fund research into
recycling polymers into new hybrid materials, using
hemp fiber to reinforce plastics and the characterization
and testing of recycled polyethylene (PE). “The recently
established Center for Materials and Manufacturing
Sciences at Troy University will focus on the recycling of
plastics and the development of standards for the recycled
plastics,” says Govind Menon, director of Troy’s School
of Science and Technology. Menon says the university
plans to research different ways to mechanically recycle
plastics. He adds that the university currently has a team
of four people who will be involved in the research. The businesses will be given additional time to implement
center will serve as an integrated, multidisciplinary the plastic bag ban if it’s passed. People paying with
research facility and will enable the university to build an EBT card would be given recycled carry-out paper
partnerships with the region’s polymer and plastics bags for free. Other states including Maine, Vermont,
industry in order to increase their competitiveness in New York City, Washington DC, Hawaii, California,
the global marketplace. The Troy University Board of Connecticut and Delaware have passed similar laws.
Trustees approved the creation of the School of Science “Something of this nature is needed,” Sen. Michael
and Technology in 2012. The School comprises five O. Moore, D-Millbury, told the Telegram & Gazette.
departments — Biological and Environmental Sciences, “Right now we have a patchwork of different towns
Chemistry and Physics, Mathematics and Geomatics, and communities where some are passing it, and
Computer Science and Geospatial Informatics – and is everyone has different aspects of their law.”
housed within the College of Arts and Sciences.

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