Resolution 1412RESOLUTION NO. 1412
A RESOLUTION STATING EDMONDS' INTENT TO BAN SINGLE USE PLASTIC
STRAWS/STIRRERS AND SINGLE USE PLASTIC CUTLERY PROVIDED BY THE
FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF EDMONDS
WHEREAS, the City of Edmonds Climate Change Action Plan states our vision by 2050
as: "Edmonds is one of many flourishing communities in the Puget Sound region of Western
Washington with our energy coming from nearly 100% renewable sources, our waste streams
approaching zero, and nearly all our products and services obtained from sustainable sources,"
and
WHEREAS, item B.4 in Edmonds' Comprehensive Plan states: "Promote a healthy
community by seeking to protect and enhance the natural environment through a balanced
program of education, regulation, and incentives. Environmental programs in Edmonds should
be tailored to and reflect the unique opportunities and challenges embodied in a mature, sea -side
community with a history of environmental protection and awareness," and
WHEREAS, the Edmonds City Council adopted Resolution 1357 on April 16, 2016
which adopts both Zero Waste Washington's and the State of Washington's "Beyond Waste
Plan" as long-term goals to eliminate waste and pollution in the extraction, manufacture,
transportation, storage, use, reuse and recycling of materials, and
WHEREAS, these goals can be supported through strategies, policies and action plans
that significantly reduce waste and pollution, and
WHEREAS, a June 2017 University of Washington study which sampled sand on twelve
Puget Sound Beaches (including Marina Beach in Edmonds) found: "small plastics are
widespread along the shore of Puget Sound. All 12 samples contained microplastics, at an
average of 1,776 pieces per 3-foot-square sampling plot," and
WHEREAS, approximately 8.8 million tons of plastic pollution flows into the ocean each
year, and this amount is expected to double by 2025, and
WHEREAS, the average American uses 1.6 disposable straws per day, meaning that our
population of 325 million uses approximately 500 million straws ep r day, and
WHEREAS, durable (e.g., metal, glass, wood, etc.) straws are now readily available
alternatives to single -use straws, reducing the need for eateries to provide single -use straws to
patrons, and
WHEREAS, only 9% of the plastic produced to date has been recycled, and annual
recycling 4 rates in the U.S. have stagnated at around 9% since 2012, and
WHEREAS, plastic breaks down into smaller pieces that can turn into microplastic,
which is becoming more prevalent in salt water bodies and has been shown to enter the marine
food chain, and
WHEREAS, single use plastic products are commonly transported into salt water bodies
from land -based sources via rivers/streams and stormwater conveyance systems, and
WHEREAS, plastic straws are consistently cited as one of the top ten contributors to
marine debris pollution, and
WHEREAS, while paper straw costs are approximately triple the average cost of plastic
straws ($0.015 vs. $0.005), restaurants now utilizing paper straws report —when only supplying
straws on demand —patrons request straws only 1/3 of the time, negating the net cost difference
between paper and plastic straws, and
WHEREAS, while the average cost of compostable cutlery is approximately triple the
cost of plastic cutlery (roughly $0.03 versus $0.01 per item), the net cost of these items can be
mitigated by providing single use compostable cutlery only on demand, and
WHEREAS, recognizing the negative environmental effects caused by single use
plastics, hundreds of restaurants around the United States have already voluntarily stopped
providing plastic straws and plastic cutlery, and
WHEREAS, food service businesses should be strongly encouraged to provide paper -
based straws —when straws are demanded by patrons —as they are both compostable and break
down into inert components when exposed to the marine environment, and
WHEREAS, municipalities such as Seattle, WA, Santa Cruz, CA, Malibu, CA, Davis,
CA, San Luis Obispo, CA, Miami Beach, FLA, Fort Myers, FLA and others now have single
use plastics bans in effect, and entire countries such as Scotland and Taiwan have announced
plans to introduce similar bans, and
WHEREAS, compostable alternatives to plastic straws, plastic stirrers and non-
compostable plastic cutlery are now readily available in the retail and wholesale markets, and
WHEREAS, the City of Edmonds desires to protect the integrity of the natural
environment and wildlife from litter and pollution caused by plastic straws, plastic stirrers and
plastic cutlery, and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Edmonds will ban by 2020 single
use plastic straws, single use plastic stirrers and single use plastic cutlery by food service
providers (e.g., restaurants, fast food providers, cafes, convenience markets, delicatessens, coffee
shops, schools, hospitals, grocery store take-out food counters, vending trucks or other
businesses selling prepared food and beverages for consumption on or off the premises within
the Edmonds city limits, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that notifying the local food industry now of the single
use plastics ban that will take effect by early 2020 will provide the food industry a fair
opportunity to use up their current supplies of single use plastic products and order supplies of
compostable alternative products before the ordinance banning the single use plastic products
takes effect, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that food service providers should only provide straws
on demand and only paper straws should be provided --if practicable --when demanded,' and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Edmonds City Council directs the Administration to
develop implementation, enforcement and program costs associated with the proposed ban, such
that those costs can be addressed in the 2019 Edmonds City Budget, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that single use plastic straws, plastic stirrers and plastic
cutlery will not be provided in City of Edmonds facilities beyond December 2018, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that single use plastic straws, plastic stirrers and plastic
cutlery will not be allowed to be provided by vendors in 2019 or beyond at public events
requiring a contract with the City —contract terms will clearly specify only compostable products
will be allowed in lieu of these items, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Administration will develop a stakeholdering
plan by the end of August 2018 to educate the local Edmonds food industry of the specifics of
the single use plastics ban to take effect by early 2020, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Edmonds City Council will continue to work with
City staff and the Mayor's Climate Protection Committee to implement zero waste goals, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Edmonds City Council will introduce an ordinance
by early 2020 codifying the citywide ban of single use plastic straws, single use plastic stirrers
and single use plastic cutlery by the Edmonds food service industry for use with prepared food
and beverages for consumption on or off the providers' premises.
This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
Adopted this 22nd day of May, 2018.
1 Provision of durable straws and cutlery --such as wood or metal --that are reusable is also to be encouraged.
MAYOR, DAVID O. EARLING
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED:
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CITY CLERK, SCOTT ASSEY