PRESS RELEASE
December 18, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kerry Parker, Program Specialist
(510) 747-7959
Straws Upon Request in the New Year
Starting January 1, 2018, the City of Alameda will be one of the only cities in California where drinking straws will only be available upon request. Additionally, all disposable to-go food ware in the City must be reusable, compostable, or in a few specific cases, recyclable.
On June 20, 2017, the Alameda City Council directed staff to consider a “straws on request” ordinance. Staff was also directed to review the City’s current food ware ordinance that bans polystyrene foam (also referred to as StyrofoamTM) and to consider clarifying the earlier policy that to-go food ware be compostable.
On September 19, the City Council held a public hearing and adopted revisions to Alameda’s 2008 Polystyrene Foam Food Ware Ordinance. These revisions focused on the reduction of Alameda’s use of plastic straws and other single-use plastics. Public Works Director Liam Garland stated, “This policy change is intended to prevent straws and plastics from landing on our beaches and polluting our oceans, by reducing the number of straws being distributed in the first place.” With these changes, fewer straws and other single-use disposable food ware will become litter on our beaches and streets, clog storm drains, and add garbage to our landfills. These changes were formally passed on October 3, 2017, and the 2008 ordinance was renamed the Alameda Disposable Food Ware Service Reduction Law.
Food vendors will only be able to provide straws upon customer request, and when requested, the straws provided must be compostable paper straws. In addition, any vendor providing to-go food ware must use compostable-fiber products.
In the two months leading up to the September public hearing, City staff conducted outreach regarding the ordinance changes. This outreach included mailing letters to all restaurants and food vendors, conducting an online survey with the general public, and soliciting input from the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Alameda Business Association (DABA), Greater Alameda Business Association (GABA), and West Alameda Business Association (WABA). Overall, 84% of 101 survey respondents supported (and 15% opposed) requiring food vendors to only provide straws to customers upon the customer’s request. In addition, 90% supported (and 7% opposed) requiring to-go food ware that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Additionally GABA and DABA shared letters in support for the ordinance revisions, and the City received 370 letters from Alameda Unified School District students requesting that drinking straws should only be offered upon request to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans.
The new requirements will be in effect January 1, 2018, and enforcement will begin July 1, 2018. There will be significant public outreach and education to both businesses and consumers in Alameda performed primarily by City staff, the Clean Water Fund, and Community Action for Sustainable Alameda (CASA). Outreach will be conducted for 18 months. The outreach will emphasize the financial and environmental benefits of choosing reusable options instead of single-use, disposable plastics.
For questions about this new policy, please contact Kerry Parker, Program Specialist, Public Works at (510) 747-7959.
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