Dear Councilmember Cheh,
Thank you for holding the hearing on July 10, regarding B23-0191, the Polystyrene Food Service and Loose Fill Packaging Prohibition Amendment Act of 2019.
As we noted in our testimony, the Sierra Club DC Chapter applauds both Mayor Bowser for championing this legislation and Chairman Mendelson for introducing this bill. By banning the sale of polystyrene foam food packaging and the sale of polystyrene packing peanuts, the District is continuing to be a national and even an international environmental leader.
The 2011 Solid Waste Characterization Study for the District of Columbia, the most recent study available found that plastics, which include polystyrene, made up 14.9 percent of waste deposited at the District’s Fort Totten and Benning Road transfer stations. Banning the sale of polystyrene service ware and packing peanuts should help reduce the amount of plastic waste from landfills, incineration, and our streams and rivers. However, the Club believes that the proposed bill should be expanded to include a ban on polystyrene coolers that are sold in the District. Many of these polystyrene coolers are essentially single-use products purchased and used for one event. These coolers are often purchased for outdoor activities, and many break and fall apart during use. The likelihood of them being left outdoors as waste products increases the chance that they will end up in District streams and waterways. The ban of the sale of these products within District lines would help avoid this occurrence.
We believe that a revised B23-0191 Polystyrene Food Service and Loose Fill Packaging Prohibition Amendment Act of 2019 that would include a ban on the sale of polystyrene coolers (or coolers containing 80% or more polystyrene) will help move the needle towards the Sustainable DC goal of 80 percent diversion from landfill and incineration by 2032. Importantly, there are viable alternatives to these products that are readily available, more environmentally friendly (and in some cases even recyclable), and on a par in cost.
As always, we would be happy to work with you and your staff on this issue. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
With best regards,
Catherine Plume
Vice Chair, Sierra Club DC Chapter
Sierra Club Calls for Ban on Polystyrene Coolers in DC
July 12, 2019