HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-20-2015 Public Comment RandsSubject: FW: SLO - Polystyrene ban to take affect by Earth Day?
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-------- Original message --------
From: Janine Kennel Rands - -
Date:01/13/2015 3:08 PM (GMT -08:00)
To: "Hermann, Greg" JAN 14 2015
Cc: "Marx, Jan"
Subject: SLO - Polystyrene ban to take affect by Earth Day?
Hi Greg
I'm personally back on a push on our Polystyrene ban effort, as I've felt that this was put behind other important
city issues.
Since your first scheduled hearing isn't until May, this dashes our hopes! - unless you can swing some political
muscle to give a go "earlier"... Mayor Marx and the City Council endorsed this fully. We were hoping that the
City would take this on, but feel that our momentum has been "lost" and people have moved on. But, we
haven't.... Any chance of moving this first hearing up before Earth Day 2015? Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Our committee is going to revisit putting out a window decal and personally handing it to restaurants and
businesses. We were working with a retired CalPoly professor artist, who came up with a design last year, but
it didn't "zing" with me, and with the hopes that the City would be 'on this' by now, we are going back to
promote a window decal.
So, am doing new 'searches' and finding some very great innovative websites & cities going after Styrofoam..
Chicago & Minneapolis;
http://blogs.citypaUs.com/food/2014/05/styrofoam_ officially_ banned_ in minnegpolis.ph�
I have no idea how long it's taken Minnepolis to get going, but they are putting this into affect by this year's
Earth Day. Chicago has a very innovative window decal, which we are going to check on with them.
Janine
Janine Rands
San Luis Obispo
1/14/2015 Minneapolis bans Styrofoam food containers I City Pages - Print Version
Styrofoam food containers
banned in Minneapolis
By Emily Eveland
Published Thu., May 29 2014 at 5:oo AM
officially
Styrofoam
containers have
_ officially been
t banned in
Minneapolis --
-. r again. The law -
- actually a re -
7% M l updated version
'k of a Styrofoam
ban that passed
two decades ago
low_ but was never
enforced -- will
take effect on
Earth Day, April
22, of next year.
"
The renewed
ban on the non-
P1,V, recyclable, non -
Photo by comulexifv. via Flielcr reusable, and
non-
compostable
containers was proposed by Andrew Johnson and passed unanimously in City Council on Friday.
Fines for breaking the law, however, have been lowered.
See also:
Minneanolis restaurant owners respond to Droposed Sturofoam ban
"Essentially, we're going to start enforcing this, and it's now improved," Johnson told the Star
Tribune. "We're rebanning it."
It's estimated that 10 million Styrofoam containers are thrown away in Minnesota each year.
Styrofoam is not impossible to recycle, but is difficult to clean and far costlier to recycle than other,
http://blogs.citypages.com/food/2014/05/styrofoam_officially_Wned_in_m inneapolis.php?print-true
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1/14/2015 Minneapolis bans Styrofoam food containers I City Pages - Print Version
more sustainable containers. Styrofoam also contains potentially cancer-causing chemicals that leach
into food, especially when heated.
City health inspectors will be more diligently seeking out restaurants that continue to use Styrofoam
after the ban is enforced, and violators will be subjected to fines. Customers can also call 311 to report
any restaurants that continue to use Styrofoam after the ban goes into effect next April.
The updated bill will allow restaurants to use compostable containers, instead of just recyclable or
reusable containers, and restaurants will be required to provide recycling and compost bins.
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z
http://blogs.citypages.com/foodl201M05tstyrafoam afticially_Wned_in minneapolis.php?print=true 2/2