Kansas City is in a unique position here in the Heartland when it comes to potentially leading the way with environmental initiative. We need to put some environmental regulations and responsibilities into our city’s every day way of life. Kansas City can benefit for the good of the environment and businesses can set the tone for sustainability. It doesn’t have to cost businesses to be environmentally responsible. Here are some ideas for sustainability in Kansas City:

1) Creation of tax incentives for businesses within Kansas City that take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. This would include, but does not have to be limited to eliminating single use plastics from the business. Businesses that stop selling their products and services with single use plastics (think plastic cups, plastic straws, plastic bags) become eligible for a tax break from the city. They must be able to prove their steps taken toward carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability to receive this incentive. 

2) Establish a City-wide ban on plastic bags like Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle have adopted. Kansas City can also lead the way and create an incentive to use reusable bags by placing a 25 cent fee on paper bags. 

3) Establishing Community Gardens within Kansas City by creating pathways for businesses and schools to sponsor and help maintain the Gardens through tax incentives and city partnership with Parks and Recreation. Giving nature places to take up space in our city is critical to mitigating our carbon footprint. Nature helps us clean our air.

These are some ways the city can come together on mitigating our collective carbon footprint while creating a healthier and safer way of life. The time to take action on behalf of the environmental sustainability of Kansas City is now and if we do this collectively, we have the ability to affect greater change. 

Thank You,

Angela Laune
Midwest Eco Initiative