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Delaware Urged to Renew Plastic Bag Recycling Program

NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) - Delaware's Recycling Public Advisory Council is considering what to do about single-use plastic shopping bags.

A law passed in 2009 requires grocery stores to have collection bins for customer to return clean bags for recycling and to make reusable bags available for purchase. The law also requires bag manufacturers to provide educational materials to encourage the reduction, reuse, and recycling of plastic bags.

But the law is set to expire in December 2014.

The state Senate passed a resolution last month asking the Delaware Solid Waste Authority and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to work with other interested parties on developing a plan with proposed new legislation by January.

The recycling advisory council was to discuss the Senate resolution at its meeting Thursday.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.