On Wednesday, September 14th, in a special Culver City Council Sustainability Subcommittee meeting, a Ballona Creek Renaissance team presented its revised comprehensive proposal to help Culver City make the shift away from single-use polystyrene food serviceware to better alternatives.
For the 9/14 meeting agenda and attachments, click here! (city’s minutes not available until approved on 10/19). For more background, see also the August 8th City Council meeting, where BCR and members of its 20-member coalition presented and spoke.
In a change since our initial proposal in April, BCR now offers as a model the 2013-14 City of Manhattan Beach ordinance, including that city’s related outreach communication to businesses and other community members. While polystyrene has unique attributes that make it practical and affordable, those very same attributes have irreversible impacts on the community and the environment.
The proposal provides ways for businesses to request an exemption or have time to shift to affordable alternatives. To date, ninety-eight California municipalities have passed similar ordinances, and to our knowledge no business has opted out or closed as a result.
For a path forward from 9/14, the subcommittee agreed to jointly develop a survey for the city to issue to all residents and businesses. The survey results and statements from both Sahli-Wells and Ericksson would be presented city council direction in a future meeting
For a short BCR video of three restaurant interviews, click here!
Pictured first photo: Transition Culver City’s Michelle Weiner at Cafe Laurent holding acceptable non-polystyrene alternatives; pictured second photo: Culver City High School BCR Club President Van Barth talking about the polystyrene found at Overland on CCD (see also video in next story.)