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Attachment 1 Recycling as an alternative: A polystyrene ban ordinance work best in coordination with cities' litter abatement, composting and recycling programs. It's important to note that most food service plastics are not easily or affordably recycled, because the market for recycling such material is limited, especially because food service plastics are soiled. CalRecycle has said, "There is no meaningful recycling of food service polystyrene." (2004 report to the Legislature.) Changing current recycling programs to include recycling food service polystyrene is not recommended. Helping to achieve municipal environmental goals: Banning the use of polystyrene food containers can contribute to the overall environmental goals of municipalities. For those cities and counties engaging in Environmentally Preferable Purchasing or Extended Producer Responsibility initiatives, a Styrofoam ban is a step toward achieving sustainable material consumption and disposal. Because polystyrene is a major component of water pollution and coastal trash debris, eliminating its use will help municipalities achieve their Zero Waste goals. Finally, a Styrofoam ban would address several components of a Climate Action Plan; eliminating this source of pollution will help protect wetland health, in turn protecting cities against rising sea levels. Reducing or eliminating local Styrofoam production also helps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. Public education and outreach on compostable foodware: Some composting operations have noted that people often do not dispose of compostable products properly, putting them in recycling or trash bins rather than compost bins. These mistakes can lead to compostable products ending up in landfills just like their non - compostable counterparts. People also confuse compostable plastic with other plastic foodware. To ensure the effectiveness of a transition to sustainable foodware, cities should engage in targeted efforts to educate the community on the definition of "compostable" and the appropriate way to dispose of these items. Please contact Save The Bay's Clean Bay Project program staff for additional resources, including sample ordinances, CEQA information, and examples of stakeholder outreach approaches and materials. Policy Department 510 -452 -9261 x118 clean bay &savesfbay.org Revised 2 -1 -11 Partial funding for this project comes from the USEPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (2009) in collaboration with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership and ABAG. 1 California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). Use and Disposal of Polystyrene in California (2004). 2 City and County of San Francisco, Food Service Waste Reduction Ordinance (Ordinance No 295 -06). 3 California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). Use and Disposal of Polystyrene in California (2004). 4 Implementation Strategy to Reduce & Prevent Ocean Litter (2008). 5 MRP Section C.10, pages 84, 86.