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Report regarding Study Session on potential regulation of plastic straws. (Christina Fernandez, City Manager's Office)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that City Council provide guidance and direction regarding the potential regulation of plastic straws.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The United States uses over 500 million straws every day. Many of these straws end up in the landfill or ocean, irreparably harming marine life and making its way into our water supplies. Plastic straws do not biodegrade, rather they breakdown into small pieces known as "mircroplastics." These microplastics never dissolve and are present in sea salt, tap drinking water, and shellfish. New studies confirm that some microplastics are smaller than dust particles or powdered sugar ingested by marine life, which threatens many species survival. Over 94% of tap water contains microplastics.
Plastic straws are the focus of many of the current efforts to ban plastic food service ware due to its prevalence in the ocean. More than 8.3 billion straws pollute the world's beaches, and if the current rate of usage continues, by the year 2050 there will be more plastic (by weight) than fish in our oceans. Straws are in the top 10 of litter picked up during coastal cleanups.
Too lightweight to make it through mechanical recycling sorters, plastic straws drop through sorter screens and mix with other materials too small to separate, contaminating recycling loads or getting disposed as garbage. Many of these straws end up in the ocean due to human error or blown out of trash cans.
The City of South San Francisco is committed to sustainability, environmental preservation, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Among the initiatives to keep South San Francisco "green" include:
* Adopted in 2008, the City's Green Food Packaging ordinance prohibits food vendors from dispensing prepared food to customers in disposable food service ware made from polystyrene. (SSFMC...
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