Latest news with #LauraThomas
Axios
7 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Richmond to start charging 5 cents for plastic bags in 2026
Richmond is about to start taxing your single-use plastic bags. Why it matters: While City Council members lauded the effort to reduce waste and pollution, many shared concerns about how the tax will be passed on to residents on fixed incomes. Driving the news: City Council approved the 5-cent tax, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, on Monday. The city is the first in the area, and the 11th locality in the state, to pass a tax like this since the legislature gave them the authority to in 2021. Zoom in: Based on an estimated 8 million bags used in Richmond annually, the tax would generate $400,000 in revenue the first year, said Laura Thomas, director of Richmond's Office of Sustainability. Between the lines: The city would technically receive about $320,000 of that since 1 cent per bag goes to retailers. The total annual revenue would drop to around $100,000 to $150,000 as people use fewer bags, Thomas told councilmembers. Per state law, the revenue can only go toward cleaning up and reducing pollution and providing reusable bags to SNAP and WIC recipients. Thomas also said the city would use some of its own funds to give reusable bags to residents who need them. How it works: Grocers, convenience stores and drugstore retailers will report how many plastic bags they've sold to the state, which enforces the tax and then provides the revenue to Richmond. The tax doesn't include plastic bags used for dry cleaning, prescriptions, trash cans, your dog's poop or packaging meat or produce. What they're saying: Retailers can choose whether they'd like to pass the fee onto consumers or absorb it, Thomas said. Some major grocery stores, like Lidl and Aldi, don't even offer plastic bags. The other side: "Who's going to pay the most are the communities that we've neglected all along, that don't have a quality grocery store," said Councilmember Ellen Robertson, who voted against the tax. Councilmember Reva Trammell said she decided to also vote "no" after some older constituents who rely on delivery services for groceries, which often use plastic bags, raised concerns about pricier bills.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lawmakers debate controversial bills that would add surcharge for plastic bags: 'It's a tax savings to the community'
Three new eco-friendly laws could soon be on the books in Richmond, Virginia. The city council is soon expected to debate proposals for a plastic-bag tax, as well as renewed enforcement of bans on releasing balloons and on certain food retailers using plastic-foam containers, Richmond's 8News reports. The most notable of those proposals is the new tax, which would put a surcharge of 5 cents on each plastic bag used at stores and restaurants. Environment America reports that Americans use more than 100 billion plastic bags each year, many of which end up in landfills and oceans. "All this plastic and all this litter is really devastating to our environment and to our infrastructure," Richmond Director of Sustainability Laura Thomas told 8News. "It's a tax savings to the community, as well." Not everyone in the community agrees with Thomas, however. Some fear that a bag tax will put an unfair financial burden on low-income households. "I'm against that," resident Bryana Ferrell told 8News. "Imagine if a single mother … has to fill a full house. That's $0.05 per bag." Richmond isn't alone in attempting to curb plastic-bag usage. California, for example, will enact a complete ban on plastic bags in grocery stores starting in 2026, and data from across the United States shows that such bans result in nearly 300 fewer plastic bags being used per person, per year. The city also wants to enforce a state law that bans releasing balloons outside, with a fine of $25 for each balloon intentionally set loose. Balloons are not just potentially fatal to wildlife — they also create litter and microplastic pollution. Finally, the council will consider renewed enforcement of a Virginia law that bans food retailers with at least 20 Virginia locations from using plastic-foam containers, such as polystyrene foam — more commonly known as Styrofoam. The ban wouldn't affect pre-packaged food, but it would affect prepared food such as takeout from a restaurant. Polystyrene foam is nonbiodegradable and can linger in the environment for hundreds of years. It can also leach toxic materials into food and drink, particularly hot items, and occupies up to 30% of U.S. landfill space. Should the government ban gas stoves? Yes Only in new buildings Only in restaurants No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Take-at-home tablet for MS approved for wider NHS rollout
A take-at-home tablet for multiple sclerosis (MS) is set to be more broadly rolled out on the NHS, potentially benefiting thousands of patients in England. The move will also 'significantly free up clinical time' by reducing the need for hospital appointments, officials said. The health service is thought to be the first in Europe to widely rollout cladribine, also known as Mavenclad and made by Merck. It has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for people with relapsing-remitting MS. This means they have periods where their symptoms get worse, followed by periods of recovery. Cladribine is a chemotherapy drug and kills certain white blood cells made by the immune system known as T and B cells. These cells normally attack viruses and bacteria, but in people with MS, they attack the covering around nerves in the brain and spinal cord known as the myelin sheath. Cladribine stops these cells from entering the brain or spinal cord and attacking the nerves there. It is taken for 20 days spread over four years, reducing the need for hospital visits and extensive monitoring. Cladribine was previously only recommended for patients with severe, highly active MS. The latest rollout is expected to benefit about 2,000 people over the first three years. Women with MS who want to conceive will also be able to safely do so. Professor James Palmer, medical director for specialised commissioning at NHS England, said: 'The NHS is proud to be the first healthcare system in Europe to roll out this innovative 'take at home' tablet widely for patients with active multiple sclerosis. 'Broadening access to cladribine means thousands more patients will benefit from managing their treatment at home rather than regularly attending hospital appointments – as well giving women with MS who want to get pregnant more flexibility to do so around their treatment. 'This decision will also significantly free up clinical time, helping clinicians see more patients and boosting NHS productivity.' MS Society"> Laura Thomas, head of policy at the MS Society, welcomed the news. She said: 'Over 150,000 people live with MS in the UK, and many of them rely on disease modifying therapies like cladribine to help reduce MS relapses, so expanding patient choice is vital. 'Cladribine is self-administered, so this decision could particularly benefit people who'd struggle to go into hospital regularly, like younger working-age adults. 'It will also benefit patients considering starting a family, as it's safe to get pregnant six months after the final course of treatment – which is less restrictive than many other DMT options. 'We're so glad that more people with MS will now be able to choose an effective treatment which suits their lifestyle.' Health minister Ashley Dalton added: 'We know that patients with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis face immense challenges, so I am delighted that this decision means more patients will get access to a treatment that will greatly improve their quality of life. 'By expanding access to medicines that can be taken at home, we can shift care out of hospitals and into the community, giving patients more freedom and saving the NHS money. 'This Government is committed to backing researchers and our life sciences sector to develop innovative therapies, so that NHS patients are among the first to benefit from cutting-edge healthcare.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Take-at-home tablet for MS approved for wider NHS rollout
A take-at-home tablet for multiple sclerosis (MS) is set to be more broadly rolled out on the NHS, potentially benefiting thousands of patients in England. The move will also 'significantly free up clinical time' by reducing the need for hospital appointments, officials said. The health service is thought to be the first in Europe to widely rollout cladribine, also known as Mavenclad and made by Merck. It has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for people with relapsing-remitting MS. This means they have periods where their symptoms get worse, followed by periods of recovery. Cladribine is a chemotherapy drug and kills certain white blood cells made by the immune system known as T and B cells. These cells normally attack viruses and bacteria, but in people with MS, they attack the covering around nerves in the brain and spinal cord known as the myelin sheath. Cladribine stops these cells from entering the brain or spinal cord and attacking the nerves there. It is taken for 20 days spread over four years, reducing the need for hospital visits and extensive monitoring. Cladribine was previously only recommended for patients with severe, highly active MS. The latest rollout is expected to benefit about 2,000 people over the first three years. Women with MS who want to conceive will also be able to safely do so. Professor James Palmer, medical director for specialised commissioning at NHS England, said: 'The NHS is proud to be the first healthcare system in Europe to roll out this innovative 'take at home' tablet widely for patients with active multiple sclerosis. 'Broadening access to cladribine means thousands more patients will benefit from managing their treatment at home rather than regularly attending hospital appointments – as well giving women with MS who want to get pregnant more flexibility to do so around their treatment. 'This decision will also significantly free up clinical time, helping clinicians see more patients and boosting NHS productivity.' Laura Thomas, head of policy at the MS Society, welcomed the news. She said: 'Over 150,000 people live with MS in the UK, and many of them rely on disease modifying therapies like cladribine to help reduce MS relapses, so expanding patient choice is vital. 'Cladribine is self-administered, so this decision could particularly benefit people who'd struggle to go into hospital regularly, like younger working-age adults. 'It will also benefit patients considering starting a family, as it's safe to get pregnant six months after the final course of treatment – which is less restrictive than many other DMT options. 'We're so glad that more people with MS will now be able to choose an effective treatment which suits their lifestyle.' Health minister Ashley Dalton added: 'We know that patients with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis face immense challenges, so I am delighted that this decision means more patients will get access to a treatment that will greatly improve their quality of life. 'By expanding access to medicines that can be taken at home, we can shift care out of hospitals and into the community, giving patients more freedom and saving the NHS money. 'This Government is committed to backing researchers and our life sciences sector to develop innovative therapies, so that NHS patients are among the first to benefit from cutting-edge healthcare.'
