Title
Recommendation on City Council's Direction to Create a "Straws on Request" Ordinance and Review Ordinance No. 2977 to Address that "To Go" Food Ware, Including Straws, be Reusable, Compostable, or Recyclable (Public Works #224)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Recommendation on City Council's Direction to Create a "Straws on Request" Ordinance and Review Ordinance No. 2977 to Address that "To Go" Food Ware, Including Straws, be Reusable, Compostable, or Recyclable
BACKGROUND
On June 20, 2017, the City Council directed staff to consider a "straws on request" ordinance and review the City's current ordinance banning polystyrene food ware to consider requiring compostable or recyclable food ware. City Council also requested staff consider whether to create a new ordinance or revise a current ordinance.
Staff has reviewed Alameda Municipal Code, Section 4-4, Polystyrene Foam Food Service Ware (Exhibit 1), which was adopted in 2008. This section bans food vendors from using polystyrene, known by its trademark Styrofoam. The section also requires food vendors to use disposable food service ware that is compostable or biodegradable. In addition, this section encourages food vendors to provide reusable food service ware, such as metal utensils or reusable plates, in lieu of disposable food service ware.
Violations of this section subject food vendors to administrative citations of $250 for the first violation and escalate to $1,000 for repeated violations.
DISCUSSION
Staff recommends Alameda Municipal Code, Section 4-4 be revised (Exhibit 2) consistent with Council's direction. These revisions will reduce waste and increase the reuse, recycling, and composting of food ware. As such, these changes advance the goals of the Climate Action Plan (2008) and Zero Waste Implementation Plan (2010).
Staff considered whether to recommend a new ordinance requiring "straws on request" or to revise Ala...
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