Single Use Plastic Reduction
Single Use Plastic Reduction
The City of Pinole is exploring how to reduce single-use plastic consumption in town to get closer to our zero-waste goal. Single-use plastics encompass plastic bags, and plastic foodware like plates and cups and plastic food accessories like straws and utensils. This may impact eating establishment and food businesses as well as businesses that provide plastic bags to customers.
Single-use plastics raise alarming concerns. Our current system of throwing away plastic items after one use is not sustainable by any means. It causes detriment to our health, pollutes the beauty of our planet, floods our landfills, and relies on the unsustainable consumption of non-renewable, natural resources. Consider this:
- A trash survey of our beloved Pinole Creek found single-use food packaging as the major pollutant.
- A 2011 Bay Area litter survey showed that 67% of all trash collected was from take-out food and beverage packaging
- Microplastics can be found in our bloodstream
- 85% of plastic ends up in landfill which can leach harmful chemicals into groundwater
- 561 billion disposable items are used in the United States each year
- Eating from plastic foodware increases health risks
Municipal Code Subcommittee Meeting
January 2023
Staff Research
February 2023
Resident, Visitor and Business Survey Released
March 2023
SUP Foodware Expo
April 2023
Cost Comparison Outreach
May 2023
Fire Wings Pilot Outreach
June 2023
Drafting Outreach Report, Meeting with Grocers
July 2023
Municipal Code Subcommittee Meeting
August 2023
Business Community Survey #2 Released
September 2023
Finalizing Outreach Report and Recommendations
October - December 2023
Municipal Code Subcommittee Meeting
January 2024
Ordinance Development
February 2024
Municipal Code Subcommittee Meeting
February 2024
Ordinance Refinement and Business Outreach
April 2024
Public Hearing on Draft Ordinance
June 4, 2024
Second Reading on Ordinance
June 18, 2024
If adopted, the Ordinance would be in effect January 1, 2025, with a 6-month timeframe following the effective date for businesses to comply.