HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-02-2015 PH1 StovallLomeli, Monique
Subject: FW: PH1. (Polystrene Ban) - Opposition Comments
Attachments: ACC Oppose Letter - SLO Polystyrene Ban Ordinance.pdf
From: Stovall, Lindsay [m_ailto:Lindsay Stovall Cdamericanchemistry.com]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2015 3:13 PM
To: E -mail Council Website
Subject: PH1. (Polystrene Ban) - Opposition Comments
Attached are the American Chemistry Council's opposition comments to agenda item PH1. (Polystyrene Ban), which is
scheduled to be heard by the City Council on June 2 "d. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
me. Thank you.
Best,
Lindsay Stovall
Lindsay Stovall I American Chemistry Council
Manager, State Affairs
Lindsay—StovaLL@americanchemistry.com
1121 L Street, Suite 609 1 Sacramento, CA 1 95814
0: 916.448.2581 1 C: 209.712.0554 1 F: 916.442.2449
www.americanchemistrv.com
RECEfVF.I [� 15
COUNCIL MEETING:_
JUN 01 2015 ITEM NO.: _
ry�a_..
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++ This message may contain confidential information and is intended
only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee do not disseminate, distribute or copy this
email. Please notify the sender immediately by email if you have received this email by mistake and delete this
email from your system. E -mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error -free as information
could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender
therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message which arise as a
result of email transmission. American Chemistry Council, 700 — 2nd Street NE, Washington, DC 20002,
www.americanchemistry.com
American'
Chemistry
Council
May 27, 2015
To: The Honorable Jan Marx, Mayor
Members of San Luis Obispo City Council
From: Lindsay Stovall
Manager, State Affairs
RE: POLYSTYRENE FOODSERVICE BAN ORDINANCE — OPPOSE
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and its Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group (PFPG) — a national trade association
whose membership includes the leading suppliers and manufacturers of take -out food service packaging — must
respectfully oppose the proposed ordinance to ban all food vendors from using polystyrene foam foodservice
containers. This ordinance falsely assumes that banning one type of food packaging material will result in an overall
reduction in litter; overlooks many environmental, safety and health benefits associated with polystyrene food service
containers compared to alternatives; and if enacted, would impose higher operating costs on restaurants and other food
providers, especially small and medium sized businesses.
All packaging leaves an environmental footprint regardless of the material type. It takes energy and raw materials to
produce, transport, and recover or dispose of any material. So it is important to measure all of these impacts
throughout the entire lifecycle of a product. Consider the following:
• Polystyrene cups weigh anywhere from two to five times less than comparable paper packaging products which
means fewer air emissions when transporting products.
• A polystyrene hot beverage cup requires about 50% LESS energy to produce than a similar plastic- coated
paperboard cup with a corrugated cup sleeve, and creates significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a
similar coated paper -based cup with its corrugated sleeve.
• Studies conducted for Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) showed that banning polystyrene foam food take -out
containers would dramatically increase environmental impacts by doubling the greenhouse gas emissions,
energy use, and waste associated with the use of alternative products.
ACC certainly shares your concerns over the implications of litter; however, focusing on a single material type does not
reduce litter. The City of San Francisco banned polystyrene containers, but according to a 2008 litter audit conducted
for the city, paper cup litter increased after the ban was enacted 3. Bans result in litter substitution, not elimination.
1 Life Cycle Inventory of Foam Polystyrene, Paper- Based, and PLA Foodservice Products, prepared by Franklin Associates, a Division of ERG, February, 2011
Z Alternative to Disposable Shopping Bags and Food Service Items Volume I, prepared for Seattle Public Utilities, January 2008, Herrera Environmental Consultants
3 The City of San Francisco Streets Litter Re -Audit 2008, Prepared for the City of San Francisco Environment Department, July 4, 2008
americanchemistry. come 1121 L Street, Suite 609 1 Sacramento, CA 1 (916) 448 -2581 kh
The amount of polystyrene foam foodservice that makes up litter is very small — measured at 1.5 percent of the overall
litter stream in detailed litter surveys conducted in the U.S. and Canada4.
It is also important to know that "bio based" or "degradable containers" only "degrade" in a controlled composting
environment — essentially a large industrial facility where temperatures can exceed 140 degrees for several days. In fact,
these containers do not degrade if littered alongside the road, deposited into a trash can, nor will they degrade if they
make their way into a storm drain or other water body.
The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), a not - for - profit association of key individuals and groups from government,
industry, and academia seeks to educate manufacturers, legislators and consumers about the importance of
scientifically based standards for compostable materials which biodegrade in large composting facilities. Under their
"Myths of Biodegradation ", BPI states:
Myth: Biodegradable products are the preferred environmental solution because waste simply
biodegrades in the landfill.
Reality: Nothing biodegrades in a landfill because nothing is supposed toy.
Furthermore, replacements for polystyrene products will likely result in higher operating costs for restaurants, caterers,
delis, and other food providers. Polystyrene containers cost 2 -3 times less than replacement products, which in some
cases do not perform well, especially for very hot and cold food and beverages.
We encourage the San Luis Obispo City Council to instead work with industry, restaurants, recyclers and other
stakeholders to develop a takeout food packaging ordinance that sets a recycling and composting benchmark by which
all materials types must then meet. Thank you in advance for considering our views. If you have any questions or
comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at 916 - 448 -2581 or via email at
Lindsay Stovall@americanchemistry.com.
4 The Contribution of Polystyrene Foam Food Service Products to Litter, Environmental Resources Planning, Gaithersburg, MD, May 2012
s See http:Al www. boiwodd .oEg /Default.aspx ?paaetd= 190439
americanchemistry. come 1121 L Street, Suite 609 1 Sacramento, CA 1 (916) 448 -2581 0