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HomeMy Public PortalAboutSingle-Use Foodware Reduction Working Group Recommendations Date: August 9, 2022 Honorable Mayor and Council Members: Author and title: Pancho Mackin-Plankey, CivicSpark Fellow; Melanie Conti, Administrative Analyst I; Erica Mertens, Administrative Analyst II Title: Single-Use Foodware Reduction Working Group Recommendations Approved By: Jen Callaway, Town Manager Recommended Action: Receive a presentation and provide feedback on the single-use foodware reduction community process and recommendations for updates to the municipal code and grant programs regarding single-use foodware. Discussion: I. Background Environmental sustainability has been a longstanding priority for the Truckee community and Town Council. The 2021 Town Council priorities and include “Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become a leader in environmental sustainability.” Aligning with those goals, waste reduction programs and policies are largely prioritized throughout the community, exemplified by Truckee’s first waste reduction policy- a plastic bag ban in 2014, upgrades to waste and recycling programs in 2019 and waste reduction goals and policies in Truckee’s Climate Action Plan. The Truckee community has long supported single-use foodware reduction policies, with community members publicly pushing for reduction of Styrofoam, straws, and litter. In 2019 students and members of school environmental clubs attended Town Council meetings advocating for action against waste in our community. Their efforts and community feedback resulted in Town staff commencing the single- use foodware reduction research and outreach process in 2019. Keep Truckee Green staff researched best practices to reduce impacts from single-use foodware and policies enacted in other jurisdictions. Relevant Climate Action Plan Policies: Goal 10: Minimize embedded carbon emissions and reduce overall consumption Policy 10.1 - Increase recycling and reuse, and reduce the use of single-use items throughout the community Action CAP 10.A - Work with residents and businesses, specifically restaurants, to reduce and eliminate single-use items and adopt guidelines encouraging reusable foodware in-house. Consider updating the guidelines to include methods for reducing or eliminating single-use items at events. Action CAP 10.C - Consider implementing an ordinance that makes use of charges, incentives, and requirements to facilitate behavioral change on use of disposable foodware and other single- use items, with a focus on equitable application. Page 77 Item 7.1 In late 2019, staff facilitated community and business workshops to solicit feedback on potential strategies to reduce single-use foodware in Truckee. On August 5, 2019 the Town facilitated a workshop for food service businesses to explore single-use foodware reduction options. The workshop’s 14 participants expressed their desire to work towards sustainability goals and shared that their efforts were limited by challenges such as expenses, a lack of time, and limited information. Business representatives spoke about the challenge additional labor would place on their businesses and their concern that a fee on disposables might deter customer traffic. Additional dishwashing labor was of particular concern to businesses because 34% of the restaurants represented did not have a dishwasher. Those businesses only have a 3-compartment sink. Two months later, on October 29, 2019, staff facilitated a workshop on foodware policies for the general public. Over 65 community members were in attendance. In general, workshop participants were enthused with the prospective policies and discussion centered around ways to make reusables “cool” and how to engrain sustainability in Truckee’s cultural identity. Based on independent research and feedback provided at those two workshops, Keep Truckee Green staff recommended the following policies to the Town Council in February of 2020: 1. Provide single-use straws, utensils, and accessory items upon request only. 2. Provide only reusable foodware items for in-house dining. Exceptions would need to be made for restaurants without sufficient dishwashing capacity. 3. Require restaurants to charge a fee on cups, utensils or accessory items. Studies show that the most effective fee price to drive behavior change is 25 cents. In February 2020, Council directed staff to convene a working group to review these policies and develop a working group recommendation. This process was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A working group was convened in late 2021. In the interim, in October 2021 the state of California passed AB 1276 which requires that restaurants provide accessory foodware items (such as straws, utensils, and condiment packets) upon request only. The law also prohibits those items from being bundled or packaged in a way that prohibits the consumer from taking only the item desired and encourages bulk and refillable dispensers. This policy was removed from the working group consideration since it is now required by state law. II. Single-Use Foodware Reduction Working Group Working group members were selected through an application process. To ensure a balanced approach to the stakeholder process, the working group consisted of five representative categories: business representatives, environmental advocates, students, members of the public, and Town Council representatives. Below is a list of the working group members and their representative categories. Business Representatives Yvonne Burch-Lucas (Wild Cherries) Marlena John (Old Town Tap) Tom Farina (Burger Me) Environmental Advocate Jenna Granger (Sierra Watershed Education Partnership) Students (Envirolution Club Members) Mia Jones Sophia Martin Town Council Representatives Page 78 Item 7.1 Mayor Courtney Henderson Councilmember Anna Klovstad General Public Kaelah Chaney Tanja Hester Working Group Objectives During the onset of the working group process, all members collaborated to set the following goals for all discussions and all policy recommendations. Group Goals • Reduce the amount of waste in the Truckee community by maximizing reductions and minimizing the impacts of those reductions. • Develop a single-use product reduction program for Town Council to consider: o Utilize a well-rounded perspective. o Include the perspectives of all stakeholders. o Develop a program that is fair to customers and business owners. o Be mindful of unintended consequences o Be mindful of people with low income and people with disabilities. o Investigate existing resources and efforts done in other areas to benefit from their knowledge and experience. • Education and Outreach: o Implement a strong education and outreach plan that reaches the maximum number of stakeholders. o Work with businesses, community members, and local organizations for support. o Utilize positive messaging style when possible. o Avoid shaming and negatively impactful language. o Change the culture of waste and how we use single-use items o Change our expectations of convenience. Working Group Process The working group held six meetings between January and June 2022. All meetings were structured in a hybrid format, with both virtual and in-person attendance options for working group members as well as the general public. The working group operated in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s open meeting law. All agendas and minutes can be found at https://www.keeptruckeegreen.org/commercial-waste-recycling/single-use-reduction/. In preparation for working group discussions, staff researched existing foodware policies in other jurisdictions and consulted with experts in the foodware policy field, including the Upstream Policy Institute and the Surfrider Foundation. Staff compiled examples of relevant foodware reduction policies for the working group to reference, and collaborated with staff at other jurisdictions, including the City of Arcata and the City of Palm Springs to hear their experiences in implementing similar policies. Town staff provided a research brief in advance of each working group meeting to prepare the members for the topic of discussion. III. Working Group Recommendations Recommendations Overview Page 79 Item 7.1 The working group recommends adopting policies that follow the zero waste hierarchy, pictured in Figure 1, which prioritizes source reduction and reuse over recycling and composting. Source reduction eliminates upstream impacts of production and transportation, as well as disposal. Encouraging the use of reusable foodware over recyclable or compostable foodware is a uniquely poignant opportunity to communicate the zero waste hierarchy, because the foodware policies will reach and affect everyone who eats at a restaurant in Truckee. Figure 1: Zero waste hierarchy. Most preferred to least preferred waste treatment methods. When vetting prospective policies for consideration, Keep Truckee Green staff and the working group focused on the GHG emissions of different foodware material types. The working group considered life- cycle analyses of foodware, which considers the GHG impacts from the entire life cycle of a product, including production, transportation, and disposal of items based on material types. When considering the entire life cycle of a product, no foodware material type has significantly lower GHG emissions. Reusable foodware items are the only material with a significantly lower impact due to the lower upstream impacts per use. Therefore, staff’s policy recommendations do not include promotion of any single foodware material type, including recycled content fiber materials or “compostable” materials, but rather focus on source reduction of all disposable items and a push towards reusables. Although recyclable and compostable products may seem like viable alternatives, these products still have significant life-cycle GHG impacts and still end up in a landfill. There are limited capabilities to recycle and compost these foodware items. We do not have a local compost facility that accepts and can break down compostable foodware and packaging. Only food scraps are accepted in our local compost program. Similarly, recyclable foodware can only be recycled if it is clean of all food residue. Most foodware will likely be too food soiled to be recycled unless rinsed and cleaned by the consumer prior to tossing in a blue bin. As a result, all compostable and most recyclable foodware products are still landfilled. Despite public perception that compostable products are superior, most have similar life- cycle GHG emission profiles as other single-use products. For these reasons, staff and the working group recommend advocating for reusables and steering away from single-use products all together. The one exception to the life-cycle GHG impact basis of the working group’s recommendations is the group’s recommendation regarding regulating expanded polystyrene products (commonly known as Styrofoam). Expanded polystyrene products are a particularly severe litter risk because they quickly break down into non-recoverable pieces when exposed to the elements. For that reason, despite an emissions profile similar to other plastic products, the working group recommends regulating the sale and distribution of all expanded polystyrene products. 1. Polystyrene Page 80 Item 7.1 Overview: Polystyrene (plastic #6, often abbreviated to PS) is a type of plastic formed from the monomer Styrene. Polystyrene has different applications depending on whether it exists in rigid form or as a plastic foam. Many polystyrene bans in California only target expanded polystyrene (EPS) foodware, and some also regulate rigid polystyrene, a hard plastic commonly found in disposable plastic utensils. Polystyrene foam breaks down into the environment in ways that make it hard to recover as litter. There are over 128 California jurisdictions with local ordinances restricting expanded polystyrene, as well as five statewide bans across the US. The City of San Francisco saw a 36% reduction in expanded polystyrene litter after banning the use of expanded polystyrene foodware. There are also potential human health impacts from Styrene, the monomer polymerized to make polystyrene. Styrene is classified as a possible human carcinogen and neurotoxin. Workers in the plastics industry can experience long-term exposure to Styrene. EPS foodware products can leach low levels of Styrene into food or drink. Most leaching occurs when polystyrene products are exposed to high temperatures; however, it is unclear if leaching from foodware can reach high enough levels to produce acute exposure to Styrene. On average, alternative foodware items are 23% more costly than EPS products. Town staff believe there are nine Truckee restaurants using some form of EPS products, and five retail stores selling EPS products. Recommended Action: Adopt a ban on the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene items Who it applies to: All vendors (restaurants + retail stores + all persons) Types of Polystyrene to ban: Expanded polystyrene (alternatively referred to as polystyrene foam or Styrofoam). This includes foodware and non-foodware products. Does not include rigid polystyrene. Exemptions:  Expanded polystyrene products wholly encapsulated or encased within a more durable material, such as rigid plastic covered coolers or ice chests.  Food packaged outside the jurisdiction, not including meat, fish, and vegetable trays sold in grocery stores  Offer a short-term hardship exemption on an item-by-item basis for products for which there is no comparable non-polystyrene foam alternative available. In 2019, Town staff did not include a ban on expanded polystyrene in the initial policy recommendations due to the desire to focus on source reduction of all single-use foodware products and shift solely towards reusable foodware. Using disposable alternatives to expanded polystyrene products would simply trade the environmental burden on another resource. However, due to the unique litter impacts from expanded polystyrene products and tremendous community support for a ban, the working group considered a polystyrene ban. Town Assistance: Grant funding is recommended to support businesses in purchasing alternatives to expanded polystyrene foodware. 2. Mandate Reusables Overview: Mandating that restaurants serve customers eating on their premises with reusable foodware is a very direct way to limit foodware waste and litter in Truckee. In support of the preferred practices of the zero hierarchy, this policy would reduce the amount of disposable foodware generated. Page 81 Item 7.1 Switching to reusable foodware requires a capital cost investment in reusable dishware and potentially expanding dishwashing capacities. However, studies show that in the long-term, using reusable products is cheaper than continuously purchasing disposable products. This includes cost of labor and running a dishwasher. 100% of the over 160 businesses ReThink Disposable, a program of Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund, has worked with to switch from single-use foodware items to reusables, have reported that the switch resulted in cost savings. Eleven other jurisdictions have adopted a similar policy. Working group members were concerned about restaurants’ ability to comply with mandate reusables requirements due to labor shortages and staffing requirements for dishwashing. For this reason, the working group recommends including a one-year waiver which can be granted multiple times contingent upon repeat submittal of a waiver application. The group also recommends providing ample time before enforcement begins so that businesses can adjust as needed to reach compliance. Recommended Action: Adopt a requirement for restaurants to provide reusable foodware for all in-house dining Who it applies to: All prepared food providers. Exemptions: 1. The below items are not subject to mandate reusables requirements: o Pre-packaged food (packaged outside the food facility) o Disposable paper food wrappers, foil wrappers, paper napkins, straws and paper tray and plate liners o Stirrers, cocktail sticks, toothpicks must be non-plastic 2. Hardship Exemption: Food providers may apply for a one-year waiver due to hardship reaching compliance New food facilities: Require new prepared food businesses have the capacity to comply with reusable foodware requirements, such as space for a dishwasher. Implemented through Town permitting process, which includes enforcement over new builds and zoning clearances. Town Assistance: The working group also recommends providing grant incentives for businesses to switch to reusable foodware. The working group recommends providing funding support for businesses to purchase (1) reusable foodware (plates, glassware, cups, trays, bask ets, cutlery, etc.) and (2) equipment to wash and sanitize reusable foodware. Funding may also be available for loss prevention resources, such as signage at front-of-house trash cans, or magnetic trash can lids to catch silverware. In order to incentivize compliance, grant funding is recommended to be available before the regulations go into effect, with additional money available to businesses that apply for funding and come into compliance earlier than required. Out of the 74 food providers in Truckee, 26 are categorized as fast food or café/bakery, and are likely using disposable foodware for customers dining in and would need to adjust to these requirements. Based on case studies of Rethink Disposable food businesses, depending on the type of restaurant, the cost to procure reusable foodware can range from $100 to $1,000. Dishwashers are typically leased at $100-$300/month, depending on the size. In a business survey, 7 restaurants responded they would be interested in funding to support installation of a dishwasher. Upon Council direction regarding this policy, staff would gather more information regarding business needs to determine grant details. The Town’s adopted FY22/23 budget includes funding to support single-use foodware ordinance implementation, with $40,000 set aside for business grants and $10,000 for outreach and education. Page 82 Item 7.1 Waste, GHG & Cost Savings Models based on the number and types of restaurants in Truckee estimate that this policy will eliminate 8,291,925 disposable foodware items, between cups, utensils, plates, and bowls each year. This is equivalent to 129,509 pounds of waste. Combined with AB 1276’s requirement to only provide accessory foodware items upon request, waste avoided under these two policies is predicted to avert 4.78 metric tons of CO2 each year, equivalent to avoiding greenhouse gas emissions from 1 gasoline-powered passenger vehicle driven for one year. The business cost savings from avoided disposable foodware purchases is estimated to save restaurants an average of $4,568 per year. This does not include full-service restaurants, who are generally already providing reusables for customers dining in. 3. Fee on Disposable Foodware Overview: The goal of charging a fee on disposable items is to incentivize behavior change and encourage customers to bring their own reusable cup or takeout container. Across the state of California, five jurisdictions require a customer fee of $0.25 per single-use cup. One jurisdiction, Arcata, requires food vendors charge a $0.25 fee per order for takeout food and beverages served in single- use disposable foodware, and requires food vendors to offer a minimum $0.25 per order discount for customers who bring their own reusable foodware for takeout food and beverages. These foodware policies are modeled after the grocery bag fee and research findings that fees have a larger impact on behavior change than discounts. A 2018 study compared the consumer behavior change from charging a $0.05 fee on disposable bags and providing a $0.05 discount for using reusable bags at grocery stores across the United States. The study found that customers charged a $0.05 fee had a much higher rate of bringing their reusable bags. According to data collected by Californians Against Waste and CalRecycle, the California ban on single-use plastic bags and required ten cent fee for paper bags has been successful in reducing use of disposable bags. A 2016 Clean Water Action study researched applying the fee effect on disposable takeout cups as well. The study surveyed customers in San Francisco on the fee amount that would result in behavior change and found that $0.25 per cup was the best price to encourage customers to bring their own reusable cups. Most jurisdictions that have implemented a disposable cup fee have followed suit in utilizing a $0.25 fee amount, and the working group supported aligning with other jurisdictions and this study. AB 619, passed in July 2019, clarifies public health laws by explicitly allowing restaurants to serve food and beverages in consumer-provided reusable containers, and allows temporary food facilities at events to serve customers in reusable containers. The law also provides health and safety conditions that food facilities must meet. AB 619 shows the state’s push towards the use of reusables by requiring that they must be accepted at California food facilities Recommended Action: Adopt a requirement for food and drink vendors to charge a $0.25 fee for non-reusable cups and takeout containers, and require a $0.25 discount provided for customers who bring their own reusable takeout container Who it applies to: All prepared food providers. Page 83 Item 7.1 Fee: Require businesses to charge a fee of $0.25 per disposable cup and takeout container. Fee must be itemized on receipt. Fee requirement does not apply to “doggy bags” or containers provided for leftovers when dining-in. Business keeps the fee revenue. Fee must be itemized on receipt. Discount: Require restaurants to provide a $0.25 discount for customers who bring their own reusable takeout food container. Do not require a discount for bringing your own reusable cup, due to higher margin for food orders. Exemptions:  Customers on WIC, EBT, or MediCal are exempt from the fee  Fee and discount do not apply to “doggy bags” or containers provided for leftovers when dining- in Town Assistance: Significant community outreach to locals and visitors is required to inform consumers of the fee and promote bringing your own reusable. Prominently displaying signage at the point of sale and increased outreach will increase the effect of the required fee. Utilizing Visit Truckee- Tahoe's channels to reach visitors to the area is recommended. Staff Alternative Recommendation: Due to business feedback on the complexities of administering new fees and discounts, and research that discounts do not have a significant impact on incentivizing the desired behavior, staff recommends removing the requirement for food vendors to provide a discount for customers who bring their own reusable container. Customers who bring their own reusable cup or container would not be assessed the $0.25 container fee, effectively providing a discount. Staff believes the fee is enough to encourage customers to bring their own reusable without being excessively burdensome on restaurant staff to administer a fee and discount. Discounts may still be encouraged as an extra incentive, but not required. IV. Accessory Items Upon Request Although the working group did not discuss requiring accessory foodware items be provided upon request due to the state requirement already being passed in October 2021, staff recommends adopting AB 1276 upon request requirements in a comprehensive local foodware reduction ordinance. AB 1276 does not include napkins in the list of accessory items that are required to be upon request. Staff recommends bolstering AB 1276 and adding napkins to a local ordinance to make the largest impact possible. Napkins and other accessory items provided in a bulk dispenser would be considered upon request. AB 1276 also requires that the jurisdiction designate an enforcement agency to enforce these requirements. Staff has been in conversation with Nevada County Environmental Health regarding the best entity to take on enforcement, and recommends this designation be written into a local ordinance per AB 1276 requirements. V. Public Feedback Following the completion of the working group, staff conducted public outreach to receive feedback on the three policy recommendations. Three surveys were deployed: one to members of the public, one to restaurants/food providers, and another to retail stores regarding the retail polystyrene ban. Staff received 426 responses on the community survey, as well as 65 responses from business representatives. Complete survey results are provided as Attachment 1. Community Feedback Over 400 responses were received from the community survey: Policy Topic Response Page 84 Item 7.1 Polystyrene  91% of respondents “strongly approve” or “approve” of a ban on expanded polystyrene Reusables for in-house dining  89% of respondents “strongly approve” or “approve” a requirement for reusable foodware for in-house dining Fee on container  62% of respondents “strongly approve” or “approve” a fee on disposable foodware; 15% neutral; 23% “strongly disapprove” or “disapprove” a fee  When considering how the fee should be levied, 45% of respondents supported a fee on each takeout cup and takeout container, while 23% selected “other,” mostly in support of no fee. The following summarizes some of the common themes expressed in the open-ended comments:  Poor timing for new regulations to be imposed on businesses who are already struggling because of COVID and inflation  Desire to utilize other material types (ie. compostables, paper, no plastic)  Concerns with cleanliness and practicality of customer-provided containers  Preference for incentives over fee  Concern that single-use requirements are overregulation  Support of the policies to be a greener community  Difficulty for visitors to utilize programs Business Feedback Over 60 responses were received from businesses. Some of the surveys were completed by phone in conversations with business owners and managers. The restaurant surveys yielded the following: Polic Topic Response Polystyrene  84% of restaurant respondents “strongly approve” or “approve” a ban on expanded polystyrene  88% of respondents do not sell or distribute expanded polystyrene products  83% Non-food related business respondents “strongly approve” or “approve” of a ban on expanded polystyrene  The most common items sold or distributed by non-food related businesses are: coolers (17%); disposable cups (17%), meat trays (13%) Reusables for in-house dining  53% of respondents “strongly approve” or “approve” of utilizing reusables for in-house dining; 10% neutral; 27% of respondents “disapprove” or “strongly disapprove”  65% of respondents do not provide single-use items for in-house dining  The top reasons for utilizing single-use items for in-house dining are: customer preference (62%); reduce labor (54%); inadequate space for dishwasher (23%) Fee on container  54% of respondents “strongly approve” or “approve” a fee on single-use containers; 15% neutral; 31% disapprove  46% of respondents think a fee should be charged for each item Page 85 Item 7.1 Assistance  If the Town were to offer one-time funding for assistance, the most requested items would be for: purchase of reusable foodware (54%), signs or outreach materials (50%); installation of commercial dishwasher (50%) The following summarizes some of the common themes expressed in the open-ended comments from restaurants:  This will be more difficult for certain restaurants to implement, particularly small restaurants that are not full service with a dishwasher  Support the concept of reducing waste and litter related to foodware, but do not think the fee will be effective to change visitors behavior  Logistically challenging to utilize customer-provided reusable take-out boxes  It is already a complex and challenging time for businesses—no more new regulations  In regard to the fee: some responded that it should not be charged; some responded $0.25 is too low; some responded that $0.25 is too high Survey Results Analysis: Community and businesses were aligned in strongly supporting a polystyrene ban. The general public, both full-time residents and visitors, were equally as enthusiastic about requiring reusable items for in-house dining; however, 53% of businesses support this notion, including some businesses who do not serve any disposables for in-house dining. Business concerns around requiring reusables for in-house dining relate to cost, lack of dishwashers, and impact on staffing. There was a general desire expressed by both the general public and businesses that improved sustainability measures should be taken with as little negative impact to businesses as possible. While the general public are supportive of a fee on containers, some businesses expressed concerns over the efficacy of implementing this practice. Lastly, a commonality in the public and commercial feedback was a desire for a certain material type of disposables to be required (e.g. ban plastic, only use compostables, require containers with recycled content, etc). As previously mentioned, there is no “best” material type for disposables. This message will need to be incorporated into the outreach and education phase of the policy implementations. Staff have incorporated the feedback from public and the businesses, along with consideration of the working group’s recommendations in the below implementation and outreach timeline suggestions. VI. Recommended Outreach & Implementation Timeline Outreach Recommendations The working group emphasized the importance of ample outreach and communication to the business community and members of the public prior to implementation. Per the survey results, staff recommend the outreach include explanations of why a change in the material type will not provide a solution to the disposables problem. Recommended outreach strategies from the working group are listed below: Business Outreach:  Door-to-door  Phone calls  E-blasts  Truckee Chamber  Truckee Downtown Merchants Association Public Outreach:  Business counter-top + window signs Page 86 Item 7.1  E-blasts  Social media  Traditional media: radio, newspapers, CCTV  Public events tabling  Disseminating information in parks, event spaces and through the school district Implementation Timeline The working group put forth a recommended timeline for all policies included in this ordinance, with focus on allowing an appropriate amount of time for outreach to be conducted, as well as allowing sufficient time for businesses to work towards compliance. Expanded polystyrene regulations are recommended for the earliest enforcement date, as there is less turnaround needed to switch to alternative products. Staff expects a retail ban on expanded polystyrene to require some additional time to conduct outreach and education in order to be sure we can reach each business. A fee on disposable foodware will also require significant public outreach prior to implementation. The working group anticipated the reusables in-house requirement would take the most time for businesses to comply, between procurement of necessary supplies (reusable dishes, dishwasher upgrades, etc), and potential staffing upgrades. Considering business feedback regarding the ongoing challenges of operations, and timing to draft an ordinance, staff recommends pushing some enforcement dates back to allow enough time for outreach and implementation. Staff predicts a draft ordinance could be brought back to Town Council in October at the earliest. Once the ordinance has its first reading, staff could begin preparing an education and outreach campaign and begin messaging after the holidays in January 2023. Based on business feedback that EPS coolers are a common item sold, starting EPS enforcement prior to the summer season will get ahead of EPS cooler sales. Town staff will plan to focus on outreach to retail stores and the small number of food providers using EPS products in the beginning of 2023. Then, staff will conduct outreach to all food providers regarding the remaining policies. The working group emphasized the importance of providing time in the off-season between outreach and enforcement to allow downtime for businesses to work towards compliance. Outreach in spring of 2023 will provide the fall off-season for businesses to work towards compliance by January. Staff also adjusted the working group’s implementation timeline recommendations to consolidate the dates for efficiency in Town staff contacting and communicating with businesses. Summary of Recommendations Working Group Recommendations Staff Recommendations Town Assistance Policy Timeline Policy Timeline Ban the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene (EPS) products Restaurants: January 1, 2023 Retail: June 1, 2023 Ban the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene (EPS) products Restaurant & retail: April 1, 2023 Grant funding to switch to non- EPS alternatives Require reusable foodware for in- house dining June 1, 2023 Require reusable foodware for in- house dining January 1, 2024 Grant funding to purchase reusable foodware and equipment to wash and sanitize reusable foodware Page 87 Item 7.1 Require food and drink vendors to charge a $0.25 fee for non-reusable cups and takeout containers, and require a $0.25 discount for customers who bring their own reusable container January 1, 2024 Require food and drink vendors to charge a $0.25 fee for non-reusable cups and takeout containers ($0.25 discount not required) January 1, 2024 Community outreach and point-of-sale signage Require accessory foodware items are only provided upon request; bolster AB 1276 by including napkins January 1, 2024 Community outreach and point-of-sale signage Priority: Enhanced Communication x Climate and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Housing Infrastructure Investment Emergency and Wildfire Preparedness Core Service Fiscal Impact: Implementation of new a new single-use foodware ordinance will require significant staff time for business technical support and community outreach, as well as funding for business assistance grants and outreach materials. The Adopted FY22/23 CIP budget C2309 includes $50,000 to support implementation of these policies, comprised of $40,000 for business grants and $10,000 for outreach and education. Staff anticipate that this approved budget is sufficient for program implementation. Public Communication:  Working group agenda postings  Social media survey outreach, including video  Talk of the Town Newsletter  Eblasts for business surveys (from KTG, Chamber of Commerce, and TDMA)  Phone calls for business surveys  Agenda Posting Attachments: 1. Survey results 2. Public outreach examples 3. Working Group Recommendations Summary 4. All the Working Group agenda packets and minutes can be found at: https://www.keeptruckeegreen.org/commercial-waste-recycling/single-use-reduction/ Page 88 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 1 / 13 68.18%30 15.91%7 4.55%2 2.27%1 9.09%4 Q1 Recommendation #1 : Ban expanded polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) products that are not encased in a more durable material (E.g. foam polystyrene cups, takeout containers, meat trays, and egg cartons). Please indicate if you support this recommendation: Answered: 44 Sk ipped: 0 TOTAL 44 Strongly approveStrongly approve Strongly approve ApproveApprove Approve Neither approveNeither approve n or disapprovenor disapprove Neither approve n or disapprove DisapproveDisapprove Disapprove Strongly disapproveStrongly disapprove Strongly disapprove ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES St rongly approve Approve Neither approve nor dis approve Dis approve St rongly dis approv e Page 89 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 2 / 13 88.64%39 4.55%2 0.00%0 4.55%2 0.00%0 0.00%0 4.55%2 Q2 Does your business currently sell or distribute any polystyrene foam products? Check all that apply: Answered: 44 Sk ipped: 0 Total Respondents : 44 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% No, we do not sell or... Disposable Cups Dispos abl e Cool er s Take-out co nt ainers Meat or produce trays Egg car tons Other (please specify) ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES No, we do not sell or dis tribute polysty rene foam produc ts. Dis posable Cups Dis posable Coolers Take-out containers Meat or produc e t ray s Egg cartons Other (please s pecify) Page 90 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 3 / 13 Q3 Please describe any specific hurdles you anticipate your business would face in complying with the proposed ban on polystyrene Answered: 5 Sk ipped: 39 Page 91 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 4 / 13 37.21%16 18.60%8 18.60%8 9.30%4 16.28%7 Q4 Recommendation #2 : Require that restaurants use reusable foodware for in-house dining.Accessory items (disposable paper food wrappers, foil wrappers, paper napkins, straws, and paper tray and plate liners, stirrers, cocktail sticks, and toothpicks) and pre-packaged items would be excluded from this requirement.Please indicate if you support this recommendation: Answered: 43 Sk ipped: 1 TOTAL 43 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% St r ongly approve Approve Neither approve nor... Disapprove Strongl y disappr ove ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES St rongly approve Approve Neither approve nor dis approve Dis approve St rongly dis approv e Page 92 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 5 / 13 65.12%28 16.28%7 6.98%3 16.28%7 13.95%6 11.63%5 Q5 Does your business currently provide any single-use foodware items for in-house dining? Check all that apply: Answered: 43 Sk ipped: 1 Total Respondents : 43 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% No, we do not pr ovide... Take-out co nt ainers Pl ates Cups Utensils Other (please specify) ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES No, we do not provide single-use items for in-house dining Take-out containers Plates Cups Ut ensils Other (please s pecify) Page 93 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 6 / 13 64.29%9 50.00%7 28.57%4 21.43%3 35.71%5 Q6 Which of the following are true for your business (check all that apply):We use single-use foodware items for in-house dining because: Answered: 14 Sk ipped: 30 Total Respondents : 14 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% Customer preference/c... Reduce labor Inadequate space for a... Cost of a commercial... Cost of r eusable... ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Customer preferenc e/c us tomer reques t Reduc e labor Inadequate s pace for a commerc ial diswas her Cost of a c ommercial dis washer Cost of reusable foodware items Page 94 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 7 / 13 35.71%10 17.86%5 14.29%4 10.71%3 21.43%6 Q7 Recommendation #3: Require a small customer fee on single-use foodware (takeout cups and takeout containers) to incentivize customers to bring their own reusable cup and takeout container, similar to the plastic bag fee at grocery stores. This is not a tax-- Each business would keep its collected fee revenue. Answered: 28 Sk ipped: 16 TOTAL 28 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% St r ongly approve Approve Neither approve nor... Disapprove Strongl y disappr ove ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES St rongly approve Approve Neither approve nor dis approve Dis approve St rongly dis approv e Page 95 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 8 / 13 3.57%1 0.00%0 42.86%12 53.57%15 Q8 How should the fee on disposable foodware calculated? Answered: 28 Sk ipped: 16 TOTAL 28 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% Char ge a fee for takeout... Char ge a fee for takeout... Charge a fee for each... Other (please specify) ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Charge a fee for takeout c ups only (e.g. $0.25/ cup) Charge a fee for takeout c ontainers only (e.g. $0.25/ tak eout container) Charge a fee for each takeout c up and takeout c ontainer (e.g. $0.75 for an order containing two cups and one tak eout container) Other (please s pecify) Page 96 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 9 / 13 28.57%8 35.71%10 50.00%14 53.57%15 Q9 If the Town were to offer one-time funding to businesses to help with implementing these policies, what funding categories would be helpful to your business (check all that apply): Answered: 28 Sk ipped: 16 Total Respondents : 28 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% Instal lation of a commerc... Other (please specify) Pur chase of r eusable... Signs or outreach... ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Ins tallation of a c ommercial diswasher Other (please s pecify) Purchase of reusable foodware items Signs or out reac h materials to inform customers of thes e changes Page 97 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 10 / 13 57.14%16 25.00%7 10.71%3 57.14%16 Q10 If the Town were to offer technical assistance to businesses to help with implementing these policies, what types of technical assistance would be helpful to your business (check all that apply): Answered: 28 Sk ipped: 16 Total Respondents : 28 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% Back of house signage... Staff training conducted in... Staff training conducted in... Per so nal ized on-site... ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Back of house s ignage (bilingual in Englis h and Spanis h) St aff training conduc ted in English St aff training conduc ted in Spanis h Personalized on-site planning cons ult ation to dis cuss implementation options Page 98 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 11 / 13 Q11 Do you have any comments about the recommended single-use foodware reduction policies? Answered: 28 Sk ipped: 16 Page 99 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 12 / 13 50.00%14 46.43%13 7.14%2 Q12 Which of the following best describe your business? (choose all that apply) Answered: 28 Sk ipped: 16 Total Respondents : 28 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% F ull-service restaur ant Quick-service res taur ant Chain r estaurant w... ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Full-s erv ice res taurant Quick-s erv ice res taurant Chain restaurant with locations outside Truc k ee Page 100 Item 7.1 Single-Use Foodware Reduc tion Business Survey 13 / 13 100.00%22 77.27%17 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 72.73%16 63.64%14 Q13 What business are you representing? Answered: 22 Sk ipped: 22 ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Business name Contact name (optional) Address Address 2 City/Town St ate/Prov ince ZIP/Postal Code Country Email Address (optional) Phone Number (optional) Page 101 Item 7.1 Polystyrene Business Survey 1 / 5 73.91%17 8.70%2 8.70%2 4.35%1 4.35%1 Q1 Recommendation : Ban expanded polystyrene (commonly known as styrofoam) products that are not encased in a more durable material (E.g. foam polystyrene cups, takeout containers, meat trays, egg cartons, polystyrene foam coolers, and boogie boards). Please indicate if you support this recommendation: Answered: 23 Sk ipped: 0 TOTAL 23 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% St r ongly approve Approve Neither approve nor... Disapprove Strongl y disappr ove ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES St rongly approve Approve Neither approve nor dis approve Dis approve St rongly dis approv e Page 102 Item 7.1 Polystyrene Business Survey 2 / 5 69.57%16 17.39%4 8.70%2 4.35%1 13.04%3 8.70%2 17.39%4 0.00%0 Q2 Does your business currently sell or distribute any expanded polystyrene products? Check all that apply: Answered: 23 Sk ipped: 0 Total Respondents : 23 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1 00% No, my business doe... Disposable Cups Disposable Plates/Bowls Take-out co nt ainers Meat or produce trays Egg car tons Cooler s (not encased in... Other (please specify) ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES No, my business does not sell or dist ribute polystyrene foam products (sty rofoam) Dis posable Cups Dis posable Plates/Bowls Take-out containers Meat or produc e t ray s Egg cartons Coolers (not enc ased in plas tic or more durable mat erial) Other (please s pecify) Page 103 Item 7.1 Polystyrene Business Survey 3 / 5 Q3 Please describe any specific hurdles you anticipate your business would face in complying with the proposed ban on polystyrene Answered: 7 Sk ipped: 16 Page 104 Item 7.1 Polystyrene Business Survey 4 / 5 Q4 Do you have any comments about the recommended polystyrene regulation? Answered: 12 Sk ipped: 11 Page 105 Item 7.1 Polystyrene Business Survey 5 / 5 100.00%18 72.22%13 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 0.00%0 66.67%12 77.78%14 Q5 What business are you representing? Answered: 18 Sk ipped: 5 ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Business Name Contact Name (optional) Address Address 2 City/Town St ate/Prov ince ZIP/Postal Code Country Email Address (optional) Phone Number (optional) Page 106 Item 7.1 Community Survey | Enc uesta para la c omunidad 1 / 6 76.29%325 15.49%66 2.82%12 1.88%8 3.52%15 Q1 Recommendation #1 : Ban foam polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) products (E.g. foam polystyrene cups, takeout containers, meat trays, and egg cartons). Recomendación #1 : Prohibir los productos de espuma de poliestireno (comúnmente conocido como Styrofoam) (por ejemplo, vasos de espuma de poliestireno, envases de comida para llevar, bandejas de carne, cartones de huevos).Please indicate if you support this recommendation: Por favor, indique si está de acuerdo con esta recomendación: Answered: 426 Sk ipped: 0 TOTAL 426 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 5 0% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Str ongly approve / Tot alment e de acuer do Approve / De acuer do Neither approve nor disapprove / Ni de acue... Disapprove / En desacuerdo St r ongly disapprove / Tot alment e en desacuer do ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES St rongly approve / Totalmente de ac uerdo Approve / De ac uerdo Neither approve nor dis approve / Ni de acuerdo ni en desacuerdo Dis approve / En desacuerdo St rongly dis approv e / Totalmente en des ac uerdo Page 107 Item 7.1 Community Survey | Enc uesta para la c omunidad 2 / 6 63.62%271 25.59%109 4.69%20 3.05%13 3.05%13 Q2 Recommendation #2 : Require that restaurants use reusable foodware for in-house dining. Single-use foodware items (e.g. disposable plates, cups or plastic utensils) would not be permitted for customers dining in- house. Please indicate if you support this recommendation:Recomendación #2 : Requerir que los restaurantes utilicen vajillas reutilizables para los clientes que coman en el restaurante. No se permitirá el uso de utensilios de un solo uso (por ejemplo, platos, vasos o cubiertos de plástico desechables) para los clientes que coman en el restaurante.Por favor, indique si está de acuerdo con esta recomendación: Answered: 426 Sk ipped: 0 TOTAL 426 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 5 0% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Str ongly approve / Tot alment e de acuer do Appr ove / De acuer do Neither approve nor disapprove / Ni de acue... Disapprove / En desacuerdo St r ongly disapprove / Tot alment e en desacuer do ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES St rongly approve / Totalmente de ac uerdo Approve / De acuerdo Neither approve nor dis approve / Ni de acuerdo ni en desacuerdo Dis approve / En desacuerdo St rongly dis approv e / Totalmente en desacuerdo Page 108 Item 7.1 Community Survey | Enc uesta para la c omunidad 3 / 6 40.71%173 21.65%92 12.71%54 12.94%55 12.00%51 Q3 Recommendation #3: Require businesses to charge a fee for disposable to-go cups and takeout containers AND provide a $0.25 discount for customers who bring their own takeout food containers. (Similar to plastic bag fees to incentivize customers to bring their own.) Please indicate if you support this recommendation:Recomendación #3: Requerir que los negocios cobren una tarifa por los vasos desechables para llevar y los envases de comida para llevar Y que ofrezcan un descuento de $0.25 a los clientes que traigan sus propios recipientes de comida para llevar. (Similar a las tarifas de las bolsas de plástico para fomentar que los clientes traigan las suyas).Por favor, indique si está de acuerdo con esta recomendación: Answered: 425 Sk ipped: 1 TOTAL 425 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 5 0% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Str ongly approve / Tot alment e de acuer do Appr ove / De acuer do Neither approve nor disapprove / Ni de acue... Disapprove / En desacuerdo St r ongly disapprove / Tot alment e en desacuer do ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES St rongly approve / Totalmente de ac uerdo Approve / De acuerdo Neither approve nor dis approve / Ni de acuerdo ni en desacuerdo Dis approve / En desacuerdo St rongly dis approv e / Totalmente en desacuerdo Page 109 Item 7.1 Community Survey | Enc uesta para la c omunidad 4 / 6 14.25%60 15.44%65 45.37%191 24.94%105 Q4 How should the fee on disposable foodware be calculated?¿Cómo debería cobrarse la tarifa de los utensilios de comida desechables? Answered: 421 Sk ipped: 5 TOTAL 421 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 5 0% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Char ge a fee for takeout cups onl y (e.g. $0.25 / cup)... Char ge a fee for takeout container s only (e.g. $0.25/... Charge a fee for each takeout cup and takeout container (e.... Other (pl ease specify) / Otr os (especifique) ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Charge a fee for takeout c ups only (e.g. $0.25/ cup) /Cobrar una tarifa sólo por los vasos para llev ar (por ejemplo, $0.25/v as o) Charge a fee for takeout c ontainers only (e.g. $0.25/ tak eout container) /Cobrar una tarifa sólo por recipientes de comida para llev ar (por ejemplo, $0.25 por rec ipiente para llev ar) Charge a fee for each takeout c up and takeout c ontainer (e.g. $0.75 for an order containing two cups and one tak eout container) /Cobrar una tarifa por cada vas o y rec ipiente para llevar (por ejemplo, $0.75 por un pedido que c ontenga dos vasos y un recipiente para llev ar) Other (please s pecify) / Otros (especifique) Page 110 Item 7.1 Community Survey | Enc uesta para la c omunidad 5 / 6 Q5 Do you have any comments about the recommended single-use foodware reduction policies?¿Tiene algún comentario sobre las políticas recomendadas de reducción de los utensilios de comida de un solo uso? Answered: 317 Sk ipped: 109 Page 111 Item 7.1 Community Survey | Enc uesta para la c omunidad 6 / 6 67.37%287 14.79%63 11.97%51 7.75%33 5.16%22 Q6 Which of the following are true for you? (Choose all that apply)¿Cuáles de las siguientes opciones aplican para usted? (Elija todas las que correspondan) Answered: 426 Sk ipped: 0 Total Respondents : 426 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 5 0% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% I am a full -time Truckee resident /... I am a part-time Truckee resident /... I live outside Truckee in the... I am visiting from outside the area / So ... I own a business in Tr uckee / Tengo un... ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES I am a f ull-time Truckee resident / Soy residente a tiempo c omplet o en Truc k ee I am a part-time Truckee res ident / Soy res idente medio tiempo en Truc k ee I live outs ide Truckee in the Reno-Tahoe-Truckee area (within 50 miles) / Vivo fuera de Truckee, en la z ona de Reno- Tahoe-Truckee (en un radio de 50 millas) I am v isiting from outside the area / Soy un v isitante de fuera del área I own a business in Truckee / Tengo un negocio en Truc k ee Page 112 Item 7.1 Single-use Foodware Survey Outreach Collateral Facebook images- English & Spanish Email & web header Instagram images- English & Spanish Video: https://youtu.be/EBxB8NKXaJE Page 113 Item 7.1 7/29/22, 11:29 AM Take a 2-minute survey: Single-Use Foodware Policies https://mailchi.mp/ff180f1505c9/join-the-single-use-foodware-reduction-working-group-15504165?e=[UNIQID]1/4 View this email in your browser Take a 2 minute survey! For Restaurants: Take the Food-Related Business Survey Here For Retail stores: Take the Retail Polystyrene Ban Survey Here The Single-Use Foodware Reduction Working Group developed three policy recommendations which we are seeking your feedback on. The recommendations and your feedback will be presented to the Truckee Town Council at the July 26 Council Meeting. Subscribe Past Issues Page 114 Item 7.1 7/29/22, 11:29 AM Take a 2-minute survey: Single-Use Foodware Policies https://mailchi.mp/ff180f1505c9/join-the-single-use-foodware-reduction-working-group-15504165?e=[UNIQID]2/4 Learn more here. Working Group Recommendations: 1. Ban the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene (commonly known as Stryrofoam) 2. Require reusable foodware for in-house dining 3. Require businesses to charge a fee on disposable foodware items, and require a discount for customers who bring their own reusable takeout food container Subscribe Past Issues Page 115 Item 7.1 7/29/22, 11:29 AM Take a 2-minute survey: Single-Use Foodware Policies https://mailchi.mp/ff180f1505c9/join-the-single-use-foodware-reduction-working-group-15504165?e=[UNIQID]3/4 Copyright © 2022 Town of Truckee, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Subscribe Past Issues Page 116 Item 7.1 Date: June 6, 2022 Honorable Mayor and Single-Use Foodware Working Group Members: Author and title: Pancho Mackin-Plankey, CivicSpark Fellow Melanie Conti, Administrative Analyst I Title: Summary of Working Group Recommendations Approved By: Hilary Hobbs, Assistant to the Town Manager Recommended Action: Approve staff summary of the Single-Use Foodware Reduction Working Group’s policy recommendations. Working Group Recommendations Polystyrene Recommended Action: Adopt a ban on the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene items Who it applies to: All vendors (restaurants + retail stores + all persons) Types of Polystyrene to ban: Expanded polystyrene (alternatively named polystyrene foam). This includes foodware. Do not want a ban on rigid polystyrene foodware Exemptions: • Expanded polystyrene products wholly encapsulated or encased within a more durable material, such as rigid plastic covered coolers or ice chests. • Food packaged outside the jurisdiction, not including meat, fish, and vegetable trays sold in grocery stores • A hardship exemption is available on an item-by-item basis for products for which there is not a comparable non-polystyrene foam alternative. Mandate Reusables Recommended Action: Adopt a requirement for restaurants to provide reusable foodware is for all in-house dining Who it applies to: All Food Providers. Do not distinguish between full and limited-service restaurants. Page 117 Item 7.1 Accessory items: The below accessory items are not subject to mandate reusables requirements: • Pre-packaged food (packaged outside the food facility) • Disposable paper food wrappers, foil wrappers, paper napkins, straws and paper tray and plate liners • Stirrers, cocktail sticks, toothpicks must be non-plastic Incentives: Support funding for reusable dishware and incentives for switch to reusables. Hardship Exemption: Given on a yearly basis, repeat exemptions accepted. (somewhat indefinitely) New Food Facilities: Permitting approval is only available upon confirmation the new facility has the ability and capacity to comply with these regulations. Disposable Foodware Standards: Do not support enacting disposable foodware standards. Fee on Disposables Recommended Action: Adopt a requirement for food and drink vendors to charge a $0.25 fee for non-reusable cups and takeout containers, and require a $0.25 discount is provided for customers who bring their own takeout container Type of Fee: Per Cup and Takeout Container (e.g. an order with 2 cups and 1 takeout container would be assessed 3 fees equaling $0.75) Amount: $0.25 fee per item Discount: $0.25 discount for customers who bring you’re their own takeout container, but not for bringing your own cup due to $0.50 swing on orders with discounts and higher margin for food orders. Exemptions: Customers are exempt from paying the fees if they are on WIC, EBT, MediCal Page 118 Item 7.1