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consumption and enter the composting stream without adverse environmental <br /> and human health effects. <br /> • Proper Recycling —focus on maximizing recycling or composting of food service <br /> ware and packaging discarded into the formal solid waste system and keeping <br /> materials out of the landfill and contaminants out of the recycling and compost. <br /> StopWaste has emphasized voluntary waste reduction and choosing reusables <br /> whenever possible, in support of circular economy principles to keep materials cycling <br /> through the economy as higher value products. With StopWaste support, the Rethink <br /> Disposable campaign (www.rethinkdisposable.org) has reached 430 businesses, with <br /> 50 sites implementing measures that reduced over 11,000 lbs. of disposable single-use <br /> food ware products. The Purchasing Compostable Food Service Ware guide provides <br /> food service operations with information on compostable/recyclable purchasing choices <br /> when single-use items must be used. StopWaste also supports the Reuse to Go <br /> campaign (www.reusetogo.org), a regional reuse campaign developed through the Bay <br /> Area Recycling Outreach Coalition in partnership with the nine Bay Area counties. <br /> The countywide Reusable Bag Ordinance has reduced the number of bags used and <br /> flowing into the stormwater system since 2013. While solid waste reduction and <br /> resource conservation are achieved to some extent, a major success of the ordinance <br /> has been litter reduction and increased public awareness. <br /> STATE AND LOCAL POLICY INITIATIVES <br /> At the state and local level, a number of policy initiatives have been implemented (or are <br /> in the process of being implemented) that aim to reduce waste and plastic pollution. In <br /> addition to the six bills from the current State of California legislative session aimed at <br /> reducing plastic pollution: <br /> • Many local governments around the country, including over 100 in California, <br /> have adopted a food ware ordinance of some kind to address this waste stream. <br /> • At least 12 jurisdictions in Alameda County already have expanded polystyrene <br /> (EPS) food ware bans in place, with several also requiring all compostable or <br /> recyclable packaging for food ware. <br /> • Alameda and Oakland passed ordinances requiring straws by request, and <br /> Berkeley and other cities in Alameda County are considering new policies <br /> targeting all takeout food ware. <br /> Page 3 of 4 <br />