HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 8 - Eco SloENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
ecoslo.org
October 24, 2017
City of San Luis Obispo
Attn: Mayor and City Council
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
RE: "Straws Upon Request" Ordinance
Dear Mayor Harmon and City Councilmembers:
San Luis
Obispo
SURFRIDER Chapter
FOUNDATION
slo.surfrider.org
My name is Mary Ciesinski. I am a resident of the City of San Luis Obispo and I serve as the
Executive Director for ECOSLO, the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County. This letter
represents the support of ECOSLO as well as SLO Surfrider.
Since 1971, ECOSLO has worked to be good stewards of our environment and educate our
community to be the same. As the County Coordinator for Coastal Cleanup Day the past 13 years,
we bring over 1,200 volunteers to clean up trash and debris on our local beaches, streams and
lakes. On September 16th of this year, for the 33rd Annual Coastal Cleanup Day, volunteers at 30
sites across San Luis Obispo (SLO) County picked up 4,994 pounds of trash and 1,450 pounds of
recyclable materials, for a total of 6,444 pounds removed from SLO County:
Plastic straws have been among the top 11 items collected during San Luis Obispo County's Coastal
Cleanup Day in four of the past five years. This year, straws came in at number 10, with 1,363
straws collected. I wish to voice our organization's support for the "Straws Upon Request"
ordinance that your council is considering.
ECOSLO has posted the City's online feedback page for this regulation on our Facebook page, and
we have received positive feedback in support of this regulation. In total we have reached more
than 1,400 people with our online posts.
Mandating that restaurants only give out straws upon a customer's request would greatly decrease
single -use straw waste. ECOSLO supports this regulation, and as expressed to City staff, we are
willing and able to help with outreach to businesses once the regulation has been adopted.
Your support not only impacts the city, but our county, surrounding areas, and our entire planet.
Thank you for yours port i the reduction of single -use plastics.
Mary A. Ciesin Executive Director, EC SLO Cynthia Replogle, Vice Chair, Surfrider SLO