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September 7, 2011 <br />Stephen Cassidy, Mayor <br />City of San Leandro <br />835 E. 14th Street <br />San Leandro, CA 94577 <br />RE: Food Packaging Ordinance – Support <br />Dear Mayor Cassidy, <br />Californians Against Waste (CAW) strongly supports the adoption of an ordinance limiting the use of expanded <br />polystyrene foam, also known as Styrofoam or eps, food packaging. <br />Styrofoam takeout food packaging is a major —and readily preventable — source of urban litter and marine debris. <br />Light, aerodynamic, and prone to break into small pieces, eps can be easily transported by wind and rain into the <br />marine environment even when "properly" disposed of. Beach cleanup studies show polystyrene to be one of the <br />most common forms of litter. Plastic marine debris pollution has killed thousands of marine birds, sea turtles and <br />other species and threatens California's multi - billion dollar ocean-based economy. <br />Recycling of this problem material is not an option. Despite decades of promises from the plastic industry for a <br />comprehensive recycling infrastructure, no widespread recycling scheme for eps has ever been successfully <br />implemented over the long term. Along with limited recycling opportunities, food contamination issues and the <br />lightweight quality of the material make it difficult to successfully recycle expanded polystyrene. The current <br />statewide recycling rate for polystyrene is a dismal four percent, and the majority of eps that is recycled is not <br />food takeout containers, but protective packaging materials. <br />Over 50 local communities have already banned polystyrene. Some, like the City of Berkeley, have been <br />successfully reducing polystyrene litter pollution through such a food packaging ordinance for decades. CAW <br />thanks the City of San Leandro for its environmental leadership regarding plastic pollution, and we urge you to <br />continue this leadership by moving forward with a city -wide ban on expanded polystyrene takeout containers. <br />Sincerely, <br />Mark Murray <br />Executive Director <br />cc: Vice -Mayor Gregory; Council Member Reed; Council Member Souza; Council Member Starosciak; Council <br />Member Cutter; Council Member Prola <br />921 11 ch Street, Suite 420 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 • (916) 443 -5422 FAX: (916) 443 -3912 • www.cawrecycles.org <br />