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BACKGROUND Pollution associated with single-use plastics, including food ware (straws, cups, lids, utensils, takeout containers) and plastic bags has increased in prominence as an international environmental issue in recent years. Media coverage is at an all-time high, and has contributed to greater public awareness and desire to take action. There is greater pressure on the industries linked to the proliferation of single-use plastic items that often end up as contamination in compost, litter on land or in marine environments. Urgency of the issue has been buoyed by alarming data on the scale of the problem. A 2015 Ocean Conservancy/McKinsey study estimates greater than 80% of ocean plastic originates from land-based sources, and another study found that 60% of the land- based plastic in the ocean originates from five Asian countries. Locally, Clean Water Action's Bay Area litter study identified that food and beverage packaging comprises a majority of the litter in our region. The issues related to single-use plastics are complex and lack a straightforward solution. There has been significant research and investment into compostable and other degradable plastics, but actual performance, certification/labeling, collection and processing remain fraught with challenges. Many items end up as contamination in the recycling and composting streams or become litter in the environment where they can break down into microscopic pieces, becoming increasingly toxic by absorbing contaminants from municipal and agricultural runoff. Wildlife mistake plastic pieces for food, which then passes plastics up the food chain. Alternative fiber-based food ware often contains harmful fluorinated compounds (PFA's) that persist and can bioaccumulate in living organisms. There is increasing recognition that recycling is not a viable solution for the endless flow of small plastic items, particularly those used for food service. Material Recovery Facilities are not equipped to deal with small-sized items, and there is now zero tolerance for food contamination. Currently around 9% of plastics are captured for recycling or recovery worldwide. DISCUSSION In order to develop a thoughtful and effective approach to this issue, there is a need to consider the lens through which the issue is viewed, what the problem to be solved is, and the most effective role for StopWaste: • Waste Reduction —focus on reducing the amount of single-use plastics produced to address stormwater/marine pollution from plastics discarded as litter, illegal dumping, or other uncontrolled dispersion into the environment. Support reusables to enable a shift away from single-use plastic food ware and related packaging. • Toxics Reduction —focus on eliminating the use of fluorinated compounds in fiber-based packaging, to allow these materials to be used for human Page 2 of 4