Palo Alto Phasing In Plastic Straw, Utensil Ban

PALO ALTO, CA — By the first of next year, the Peninsula city government hopes its residents and visitors will think globally, act locally — with the City Council passing an ordinance to limit plastic straws, utensils, stirrers and other food ware handed out as much as free samples at Costco.

The local part for the eco-conscious starts with the little things one can do to reduce waste that clogs local creeks and the carbon footprint of trucking the waste around. Palo Alto updated its Zero Waste Plan in 2018, with lofty, new provisions to reach its 95 percent diversion of materials from landfills by 2030.

"Straws, plastic utensils, drink stirrers — they clog our storm drains and aren't a natural component in these systems. They go into the creeks and into the (San Francisco) Bay," Palo Alto Assistant Public Works Director Phil Bobel said. Public Works just plugged in a $30 million sewer system intended to be environmentally friendly and cost efficient.

Even farmers markets are asked to get onboard the eco train. Other regulations in this upcoming ordinance include the handing out of one "compostable produce or product bag"

A violators of the city code approved Monday may face a $500 fine.

The city has already banned styrofoam, but the local government plans to convert other food containers to biodegradable containers in a phased-in process.

The ban comes on the heels of this year's California law requiring restaurants to refrain from putting out plastic straws. When 2019 kicked in, the state forced customers to request a straw much like they do water. A first in the nation, AB1884 signed into law last year by then Gov. Jerry Brown represents not so much a ban as a restriction or an extra step.

The global part is the growing issue of plastics in waterways that span from streams to the San Francisco Bay and into the Pacific Ocean, the latter home to the world's largest — the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." The distinction of the plastic-filled mass, which measures twice the six of Texas, is not one westerners can be proud of as shown here.

To those tasked with caring for the oceans and its inhabitants, any progress made to reduce the risk of plastic ending up in mammals' digestive system is a welcome sign. It's a movement worth having to Ken Peterson of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Monterey and Carmel have waged their own set of restrictions. Based on the bigger picture, these plastics crumble into micro particles that serve as a double whammy against Mother Earth. These micro plastics are eaten by smaller creatures that make their way up the food chain and absorb chemicals are an alarming rate, the aquarium's science arm has discovered.

"They act like nasty sponges for chemicals," Peterson said.

What may be more shocking is the research institute has found a higher volume in the Monterey Bay than in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

"It comes in on the ocean currents," he said.

The major concern has activated a tour de force in the science community.

"There are definitely micro plastics that go into the food web. We're hoping through our educational program and research we can inform people of things they can do. People would be surprised by how an individual has so much power to create change," said Laura Gill, public programs coordinator for the Marine Mammal Center in Marin County.

There are many alternatives in the world. Gill recalls when some balked at changing their lightbulbs, while not realizing how every eco-conscious maneuver makes a difference.

For straw lovers, there are other materials.

"Maybe we could make them out of bamboo or stainless steel," she said.

Other measures listed by the Sausalito center include:

• Cutting apart six-pack plastic soda can rings. If left uncut in the trash, they can make their way to the ocean and trap an unsuspecting, innocent animal.
• Reducing the toxins you use in your yard, as those affect the waterways via run-off.
• Bringing your own reusable shopping bags whenever you shop.
• Being sure to properly dispose of fishing lines and lures, as animals can mistake them for food if they end up in the water.
• Trying not to use helium balloons, since both the balloons and their accompanying strings often end up in the water. Choose another way to decorate a party instead.
• Selecting reusable items whenever possible and repurpose old items.
• Buying in bulk and bring your own container to the store for flour, rice, beans and other dry goods.
• Purchasing milk and yogurt in glass and ceramic containers that can be returned to the grocery store.
• Recycling everything. More and more items can be recycled if you take advantage of proper recycling stations and centers.
• Carting your own reusable cup to the café when you buy your morning latte.
• Carrying a reusable water bottle to work and school.
• Choosing a product that has less packaging over those that are individually wrapped. Better yet, can you buy it in bulk?

It's all a part of the collective good.

See also

• California 'Bans' Straws In Restaurants
• Cardboard Makes A Comeback In Watsonville Strawberry Industry