“Everyday Climate Champions” Podcast Episode 14: Reducing Plastic Pollution in Oakland
Written by Keith Nickolaus
Learn more about Climate Reality Bay Area’s podcast, Everyday Climate Champions here.
“We think we can participate actively in plastic waste reduction by limiting the use of disposable single-use food service ware. The aim, of course, is to reduce plastic consumption, microplastic pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.” - Kwok Chan
Listen to Episode 14: here
Transcript: here
Guests: Kwok Chan, volunteer co-chair of Climate Reality Bay Area's Alameda County Policy Squad
Host: Dalya Massachi
Summary:
Did you know that even as demand decreases for fossil fuels, the production of plastics is actually increasing? But California residents just like you are pushing back. In addition to reducing plastic waste on a personal level, they are coming together to fight for passage of reusable foodware ordinances. Today’s guest, Kwok Chan, co-chair of Climate Reality Bay Area’s Alameda County Policy Squad, explains how Oakland is working to become the next city to do just that. Mr. Chan discusses key provisions of the ordinance, explains why it’s so badly needed, and shares his own personal story behind why he’s so passionate about volunteering around this issue.
Why This Matters:
The failure to address plastics is undermining gains made to reduce fossil fuel production.
Globally, figures related to plastic production, use, and waste are stunning. At the same time, “recycling” is only viable for a small percentage of plastic waste the world produces.
In addition to increasing our global carbon footprint, plastics create tons of unsightly litter and contaminate the environment with “forever chemicals” and microplastics that are threatening the health of humans and other life forms.
Currently, the City of Oakland is reviewing a draft ordinance that would ban or restrict single-use plastic foodware by city food-service businesses.
Key Takeaways
Despite all the measures being taken to reduce fossil fuel production and consumption, plastic production and consumption is actually increasing and predicted to continue increasing for decades, so we urgently need to increase awareness and action on this front.
The magnitude of the environmental impact of the plastics problem is stunning: The amount of carbon dioxide emitted throughout the lifecycle of plastics in 2015 is projected to more than triple by 2050 and account for 15 percent of our planetary greenhouse gas budget.
Every hour Americans use 3 million plastic water bottles. Prior to the pandemic, Americans consumed one trillion food service ware items every year, which translates to around 3,000 food containers that we discard per capita every year.
Plastics pollute our San Francisco Bay and its shorelines, a fact that’s easy to see and also confirmed by years of studies.
Many forms of single-use plastic can’t actually be recycled, less than 9% globally, highlighting the deceptive marketing practices of a plastics industry that pretends plastics are indeed “recyclable.”
Some food service ware providers or manufacturers use chemicals the EPA designates as especially toxic, such as mercury, PFAS – sometimes called “forever chemicals” – and other chemicals that may leak into your food or beverages and contaminate the larger environment.
In addition to making our own individual low-carbon lifestyle choices, we can “use our wallets” to encourage more businesses to reduce plastic waste. We can also join with others to support ordinances, like those already in place in some cities, that require food and beverage operations to eliminate, reduce, and/or charge extra for single-use plasticware.
CA Senate Bill 54 was signed into law in 2022. SB 54 calls for 100% of all packaging in the state to be recyclable or compostable by 2032, with a 25% overall reduction in plastic packaging. Now cities are working to help achieve that goal with their own local plastic packaging or foodware ordinances.
Climate Reality Bay Area is a member of Reusable Oakland, a coalition of groups advocating in favor of the Oakland ordinance now under review. The ordinance would prohibit food service vendors or restaurants from using disposable food serviceware on their premises, along with other requirements to incentivize reuse and eliminate plastic waste.
This Oakland legislation will ban styrofoam outright and also ban highly toxic chemicals used in disposable food ware, and is similar to legislation already passed in Berkeley and some other California cities.
On a business trip to China years ago, today’s guest witnessed huge amounts of plastic waste from the US polluting Chinese towns and villages, including open-air incineration of toxic plastics. Now retired, he is working to address the issue of plastic waste by pressing for passage of the pending Oakland ordinance.
After much debate, the proposed Oakland ordinance has been drafted and is slated for review by the city’s policy committee. It will be put through the voting process, and hopefully adopted before the end of the year – making this a great time to voice support for a strong ordinance.
How to Take Action
Wherever you live in the Bay Area, and especially if you reside in Oakland, voice your support now for Oakland’s proposed ordinance to reduce single-use plastic ware by restaurants and food vendors in the city.
Following the example of today’s guest, get more involved with CRBA’s Alameda County Policy Squad as a way to support this Oakland ordinance and other environmental action policies. Sign up at crbaalamedasquad@gmail.com for their email updates.
Get connected with the organization Stop Waste to discover other ways to reduce plastic consumption.
Do your part everyday by being a champion at packaging and container reuse! Easy ways to get started are by shopping at local REFILL shops for bulk purchase of many everyday household products and food staples, and by using your own refillable/reusable products when frequenting restaurants, food service vendors, cafes, etc.
Be a “knowledge is power” advocate for reducing plastic production and consumption by learning more about plastics, their impact on the environment, and the kinds of practices and legislative action that address the problem – see Related Websites below.
Related Websites:
Climate Reality Bay Area’s Alameda County Policy Action Squad’s email newsletter signup: crbaalamedasquad@gmail.com
Stop Waste’s Model Legislation on Food Service Packaging Reduction and Reuse: https://www.stopwaste.org/resource/stopwaste-model-ordinance-for-food-service-packaging-reduction-and-reuse
Environmental Protection Agency list of high-priority toxic chemicals: https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/ongoing-and-completed-chemical-risk-evaluations-under
United Nations Environment Programme document on marine litter and plastic pollution: https://www.unep.org/resources/pollution-solution-global-assessment-marine-litter-and-plastic-pollution
The Ecology Center can help you reuse your containers by refilling them with household products. They also list other refill shops around the Bay Area: https://ecologycenter.org/store/. One of these shops is Simple, featured in Episode 6 of the Everyday Climate Champions Podcast
Monthly Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline Cleanup (Oakland): https://www.climaterealitybayarea.org/chapter-events/saturday-bay-clean-up-sjr5w-mbkmz
Contact Us: Do you know a Bay Area-based Everyday Climate Champion? We’d love to interview them! Or just want to share a comment or hear about new episodes?
Get in touch: crba.eccpodcast@gmail.com
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Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designer: Trevor Skerbe; Co-Hosts: George Dy, Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas