Be A Hero for Zero

By Nancy Sanchez

From June to September 2023 Climate Jobs Corps member Nancy Sanchez conducted a study to help advance participation by the business community in the achievement of the City of Santa Monica’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), specifically with the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and zero waste through diversion from landfill, composting and recycling by 2030. Her study focused on the food establishments that prepared food for delivery to individual customers, often referred to as “fast food”.  These establishments are required to  follow the rules of the 2019 Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance in the city of Santa Monica, which was adopted in support of the City’s CAAP goals. The study focused on the types of utensils and packaging provided by the establishments from which food was ordered for delivery. During the study Nancy and a team of volunteers photographed and documented the food service ware received from 20 food establishments. 

Additional Santa Monica municipal codes and policies formed the basis for reviewing the utensils and packaging provided. These included:

1. Chapter 5.46 MANDATORY RECYCLING – This ordinance seeks to reduce the amount of non-recyclable, e.g., non-organic and organic, solid wastes deposited in landfills from the City’s commercial businesses, residents, haulers, and self-haulers. 
2. Chapter 5.44 NON-MARINE DEGRADABLE DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE WARE- This ordinance seeks to keep disposable food service out of the landfill and also prevent disposables from posing a danger to ocean life. “Disposable food service ware” means disposable products intended for single or a limited number of uses, used in the restaurant and food service industry for serving or transporting prepared, ready-to-consume food or beverages. Disposable food service ware includes, but is not limited to, plates, cups, bowls, trays, hinged or lidded containers, straws, stirrers, lid plugs, lids and utensils. This ordinance does not address disposable packaging for unprepared foods.
3. Chapter 5.45 SINGLE-USE CARRY OUT BAGS-  This code bans single use carry out plastic bags. “Carry out bag” means any bag that is provided by a retail establishment at the point of sale to a customer for use to transport or carry away purchases, such as merchandise, goods or food, from the retail establishment.  

FINDINGS

Nancy found that, for the most part, the utensils provided by the restaurant chains during delivery did not comply with the various ordinances. The majority of the foodware provided were plastics 1 to 5. Nancy also documented the type of bags used to bring the food. She found that 14 restaurant chains provided brown paper bags and 5 provided plastic bags. The study found that one restaurant chain, Yoshinoya, complies with the ordinances to a high degree which could be an example for other restaurant chains to become “heroes for zero waste.” Yoshinoya followed the ordinance going above the requirements by including paper lids for drinks.  Plastic lids are allowed; they are currently exempted from the city ordinances. 

RECOMMENDATIONS

As a result of the study, CASM offers the following recommendations for future action:

• It should be incumbent on food establishments to disclose whether or not the food service ware is compliant with city ordinances because it is often difficult to determine  this based on the product name or information printed on the item itself. 
• It is now possible to begin use of marine degradable lids in preparation for removing all or part of the lids and cups exemption. Paper and fiber drink lids are in use in many parts of Europe already. Outreach should begin as soon as possible.
• In the absence of readily available examples of marine degradable cups, more source information for food establishments on compliant products is needed. 
• Early adopters could be incentivized. 
• Food delivery apps and restaurants need to inform customers  that utensils will not be provided and must be requested. The apps need to make this easy and clear.
• Reusable utensils and packaging remains highly effective in terms of reducing waste and carbon emissions and should be a priority strategy.

This study took place as a sideline activity during several meetings of CASM’s summer youth Climate Corps.  Climate Corps members’ participation provided valuable educational experience addressing actions which need to take place to achieve zero waste.  It also provided insights into the role that disposable consumer products play in climate-related resource consumption and demonstrated how an informative study can be performed even with limited resources. 

Are you interested in helping with outreach to local food establishments, so that they switch to plastic-free low-carbon packaging and utensils?  

We need you! 

 Reach out to: casmcommunity2@gmail.com