HomeMy WebLinkAbout0146.094~ ~
February 10, 1994
THE HONORABLB CIrf COUNCIL
PALO It-.LTO. CALIFOR... .. UA
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£QlYBtyrene program Changes
~e~rs of th~ Ccuncil~
Report in Brief
This is ~~ informational report regarding modifications made to the
current polystyrene recycling program as reported in local
newspapers. Council action is not required.
Pisc;ussion
On J·.lly 5, 1.990~ Council approved a staff req<.lest to implement a
pilot. polystyrene recycling program (CMR:404:0) in lieu of
implementing a ban on pclystyrene food packaging in the City. On
June 6~ 1991, staff returned to Council with a report discussing
the succes-s of the pilot program a.."1d the plans on making it a
permanent program. (CMR:311:91) + The recycling of polystyrene
packaging materials has been the responsibility of Free Flew
Packaging from the inception of the program. Early ir.. the program,
Free Flo .... was accepting clean food polystyrene because it \!las clean
and in small amounts. At the same time, some businesses and the
School District switched from paper food containers to polystyrene
containers; and the National Polystyrene Recycling Company (NPRC;
set up a recycling processing center in Hayward to accept, wash and
recycle polystyrene food containers Staff was determining the
viability of trgnsporting rr.aterial to HaywQrd ..... hen the NPRC closed.
Staff then began worKing with a polystyrene industry
representative, who was negotiating with another company, Action
Recycling. to transport the food polystyrene collected to Southern
California. S~n after, negotiations between the polystyrene
industry and Action Recycling failed, and the City was left with no
other alternatives for recycling food polyetyrer..e.
In December 1993, staff decided that the Recycling-Program :should
no longer accept food polystjfreL..... and began the process of
modifying 'the program. Since the majority cf the program. ..,as not
affected~ and the overall recyc~ing of polystyrene packaging
n-.aterials is ccntinuing and growing, staff modified the progl:am t.o
delete food polystyrerte without returning tc Council tor Program
review.
Before any changes were put in place, a letter was sent to the War
en Waste Com.'T'Iittee (WOW) (Atta.chment 1) and businesses in the
St.anford Research Park (Attachment 2) advising them of the
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impending Modifications. WOW was included in the initial prr .... cess
of begir..ning the polystyrene recycling program, and the
infcrmational let.ter was sent to identify their concerna. Only cne
call ...... as received requesting more informat ion. The phone calls
from busin~sses were for ~larification cn the cha~ges. Staff found
no opposition from wow l!.or the business community on discontin.uing
the polystyr~ne food container portion of t.he program.
Staff worked with the polystyrene industry to make the following
changes to the City's program effective January 24, 19S4:
~. Food polystyrene is no longer accepted;
2. Polyst.yrene pa.ckaging materials and loose fill packaging
(peanuts) are still recycled at Free Flow Packaging; ho'Weve:!",
only two drop-off locations are a-'lailable--Hewlett Packard r
3000 Hanover and the Recycling Center. east end of E~arcadero
Road; and
3. The SchOCll District set up their own program with Dart
Conta.iner Corporation for food polystyrene. in which the
Distrj C't is renting a Il'.achir'l.e from Dart Corpor~tion to densify
the polys!:yrene. Dart is transporting the material to
Southern California.
During the week of January 241 Free Flow Packaging paid San Jose
Conservation Corps employees to Btaff the two drop-off areas, to
provide program change information to tho3e dropping off
polystY4ene.
stanford Recycling Center recently disbanded
polystyrene recycling program, and City staff has
many phone inquiries regarding that chan~e_
Q2pclusiQ!'l
their entire
been receiving
The recycling program for polystyrene packaging materials and
peanuts still exists, an.d o:1ly the acceptance of food polystyrene
hae been discontinued. Staff understands th~ importance of the
polystyrf',ae program as a policy issue and will provide Council with
advance information on any future changes. Staff will continue to
work with the polystyrene industry to identify feasible markets for
processing and recycling food polystyrene when they become
available.
Respectfully submitted r
~..;;bLt.N"~~.
JANET FOREMAN
Coordinator, Public Works Projects
GLENN S. ROBERTS
Director of Public Works
-2 -
Attachments: 1
2
Lette::-to War On Waste Committee
Letter to BusinessEs i~ the
Stanford Research Park
Related CMRa: 404:0
311:91
CMR:146:94 - 3 -
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41S.329. 229'JF.u:
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us. 329.2151
415.329.Z9':l fax -Compliua
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415. 494.El Fax
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415.a.5922
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Opo<otions
(15A96.6914
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City§1PaloAlto
Public Work; fJ<;>11t"''''/
Opel41!itUIS Di~'hi'J11
(415) 496-6976
December-l4, 199,l
Dear v...'~r 011 Waste CO!1lllliltee .t\'ie:nber.s,
As mos' of you know, tile Ci!j of Palo Alio 3V(lide<l a ban on po:y.st)rel!e by
implementing a p..,lystyrene r~yc1ing program in Nuvember, 1990. Illiti<tJly
the progialll v'-as. qUIte sll(:cessful, later SOlllt probkills deye1opt'o: tile method
of processing t1H:: m:Iteri,lis changed, the cOl11aminatiQIi levels of the
polystyrene incrensed, illlJ our proce~sors began restricling their int:'lke 10 only
packaging ar,d p''Ic1-:i!lg ~pt"al1l.irs", nOI fex:;j VJiltainers 111 addition, t!it"
Nalional Polystyrene Recydillg: COlltpaI1Y" lile cniy Nonl1t:m C;~liforlll~ plrtnl
that cOlild procr;"<js poJ)'sryfclle rood COIlI<'lIllCrS, {'Iosed ils doors last }ear.
S~nce May of this year 'I.e have beep. 'A:orking wilh Frce Flow Padagi!1g and
DART C{lllta~ner Corporalion to alleviitte wme of the problems. The foilowing
changes to the program have resulted in !!If' $t!ccessful conlinuation of the
~ckaglng part (If the recyciing pmgram. These cb~nges have occurred or will
occtlr in the next few m(lllli1s:
I.)
2.}
3.)
Remon':d the p1.Jbl'l~ bfn at Cubbcrley Com:nuniTy Cellte-r lo
reduce eOl1tamill<1lion (March 199J)
COl1so[ld<ile the pu.blic drop-off bins 10 Oile location (Hewleu
Packard) and remove lhe 15 cubic yard container from DN.A.X
(Jamt<lrY 1994}. Cominue collecting polystyrene at Jill" Recyciing
Center.
Placed a lid on the 30 cubic yard bin at HP (Q.:lober J993) to
keep the p01)'s~yrene dry .
.4 Res'riel the reqrjmg: of polystyrene to packaolno and -N..LH-'-~
[lnlv, no foam food containers will be collected in Palo Alto
(J.1nu ... y 1994).
At this point. there are no a\.'enucs for Palo Afto residel11s or businesses 10
recycle pc'llys:ylelli.' (nod colltainers. There are [\\.'0 tl;?cyc1.!'ts. Olle in SO'.nla
Clara and one in SOlllh SZln Fransisco, who 'IoI.'ill take polystyrene food
containers fWTll businesses wilier. niive large qu.:'uHities (i.~. schor.1 dislricts,
large emrlo),;!rs). but not fnml ihe gelleri'll puhlic. While Illt' Cih of PolIo
Ar!o il. __ ~_hl~ In CL~Il'iIIUI;? recycling. ",ii p;Jckagillg and PJding ~pt'ar'\Uls", we ("an
not provid( a coilec!ioll pnlgmm foe fclOd cOl1tainers.
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P.o.blO2SO
PaloAlto.CA~
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The ftnal staff report \11;i1 ""en! bC(l)r(' c:)tlllcil in July of lQ90 slatfs "if tbe
polystyrene ir,duslry CI.nd the communi:y ~ilntl;d p,'('lve unslJcce~<;.rul ill the~r
efforts to estabtish the pilN program, staff will scheuufe Lhe dr-rift ordinance
for Council consideratron"' tthe ordi.liance for the banning of polys:yrene food
contalnen). While I 3m not ccnvinc.ed an ordmance banning polY5tyrcI1e
snoot!! be ~mpleme!'1led or would ~Ve!1 work, we need to address some of the
challenges we are faced with and pvtelltiaily meel with represel1tatives of the
polystyrene industry to discuss tflem prior 10 sep.dillg :ill report 10 City CO'.lllCil.
If )OU arc interested in discussing ,ltem'Hives and options for food polystyrene
rt:cycling. please COlll<'lct me at 329-2576.
$ir.cerely.
J(aJUA1..1tt44-,-ifL f~ Gissibl
RecycJ ine Coord] ".alor
Enclosure: July 1990 Polystyrelle Council Report
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A'IT}!'£SHlNI' '2 Cityc'?a!oAlto
Pub/,: \Yorio; Dqxrrl111nd
Deceml>er1993
The City of Palo Alto started • pulystyr~ m;:ycli.D, pro~ram ill 1990 lD ool!.ecl polystyrene foe;n pi!("usmlj.
Iooee 6U "peiILlut& •• fOUl meat lilly', !NKI fOim cup; and plaCe! from all, JUideats and~. The
~ has beep very succeIIi:/IfuJ; in 6~)'CtaI' 1992·9) 'Ne coJle!.':1ed Sl>vea and. lWf!oos of makri.l. one Jo..:1J.
more ibID die prerio'.tIl 'Ie&!'. Since 1990, however. t,\e prncessioa: and collecticm of pol'ldyreoe bas chmged
dn:m&.tk:aUy UJd 11: will DeCCAitate'solDC chanzea in Ibe proa:nm.
nw CjSy win pg ipnm be able Ip uS lOY PWliYrmE fgod 2IJ'U!iDm:I (rom businesIe& or TeSldtm:5. Slnc;e
1990 we hav.t bd four pcblic drop-off bins for ..n poiy~ foam food aDd pacbgin, coataiDen in Palo
Alto. 1a. ..... .pril WI! remcved ODe of &be publi.c biN &om O1bberf.ey Communily C. __ and ZI the end of
Dccanber ~ -";U remoVIC IIIJ()lber ooe. of the puNK: bUuI from ONAX p.~ at 90l CaJifomia. The
foIlowiJrll optioM ue .&Vulable fcc ~ .md. rerid«\u 'Io'bo wao.t to 1'eCy<:w. tbeif ?OtJIt)Tet1c':
I,) PACKAGING MUF.RIALS AND fOAM PACKlNG ·PE~
There wi!! still be two site. iD the Cily to ~ff p8C'U,Enr: material aod ~pnllluts· ~
~new\ctl p~ I 3000 H.aDovu SII'tIet.
·Ptio Alto llecyclw, Center. ease: end of E~ Ro..d
rr 51 Sf rWl/J;
-I'O.UI F'O()D CONTA1N6&S M'lU. !tOT BE ACCEI"TBlJ AT 11IESR TWO Sln.$
-NO BUD 1ItDUJI:D rDLl'S"I'f1tE1a a. nu JUi$1STA:'fT FOAM
1.) FOAM PACIONG • PEANUT" JtE\lSE
'T'bcte arc It:Yenl peb.cin, Itmei Ul Palo Alto c:h.i will KCept foam "peaoiJU'" for reuse. Please lee 11>0_500""_
3.) FOAM FOOD COf\!TAINERS
No palystnme food S!"¥'!qep will be. ~ Crot'Q. ~ {K ~Is. Bowne.-, if,~
bIaiDeG pcnIeI poIJ"IC)'ftI4e food coataiMtlll Ibere ~ tW9 optlOlll for f1IC}-diq:
.j)ART C._ Co<ponjioa "'" • _ rym, .... oo/Iectioo J>"'iRID ..tUc!o oimplifi ..
abe-haD&."llit& _ cot)cctjon of foam focd ~ 011 lil.e.. PleaM contact SWIIm )''ladisoa
• (209) 369-1692 for more infonDatiua.
-MisIsion Trails ia SaI1I1 Clara ..ru IICOt:pt ro.m food coal:aiDm at their ~I center.
bel they CU&DOC conect .. from ~ At=f., FOI' IlIO!'e iDfOf'm8tioa plea:R 00DtIct Tim
AIJ<oO at (401) S6HSOO,
-Wute'Re9urce TedInoIo&_ iD S-Fr'IDCiac:o win.dle IICeept poi}"S)1eDe.. For IIlOf"ti
iDfOTlDltioa: 1'-~ Jolm PueJiarui or Frank CVdov~ Iltl (41Sj 822-2175.
N dU dme WI!: tDOW of DO cCber opCiods for _n:qcrlDj! poI)'8C)'ftOC food CODt.aiDen. bW we hope you
will_ odvoo!sae of !be <Irop-of'!"""'" for 'I'nt pot_ poW''''l and \he poW"", """"
b ~ of..-.m, 'poID\ItI"'. PIeue. cor.tact IDe lit )29-2576 if you; bave q\leSiiOCWl ot' coawe:ats
.-"'" -.,... Hopfully _ <c won. .."...... will> !be pol_ mduotry 10 ..... it ou! of the
loadfilI.
_yo
x.m. GiaibI
~ Cocn!iaaIor
P_O,blU250
falo Alto,.CA 9rOl3
Mail Ileus EIc.
555 Bryant Streel
326-5555
Packaging stores thaI sccept
polystyrene "peanuts" ror reuse in Palo Alto:
Handle With Care Pac",ing Store
2127 El Camino Roal
32S-7447
PosWAMtx
236 SlIDford Sbopping Cmler
324-8082
POSl-Td
3790 El Camino Roal
494-2660
The IIo1wocb
39 Town iii Country vm.lig.
32S-l!1l
.,.. a, <Ill .. AIle '-' _ ..... ~ ........,. or ~ .. .....--. Aa)':lM ..... WIMid lib leo be -"led 10 *iii .... cal --.