The Council finds as follows.
(A) California’s Integrated Waste Management Act requires all counties and cities in California to develop and implement programs to divert from the wastestream 25% of solid waste generated by 1995 and 50% by 2000; and solid waste that is non- degradable or non-recyclable poses an acute problem for any environmentally and financially responsible program of solid waste management.
(B)
Products which are biodegradable or recyclable offer environmentally sound alternatives to non-biodegradable and non-recyclable products currently used. By decaying into their constituent substances, biodegradable products are less of a danger to the natural environment, and less of a permanent blight on the landscape.
(C) Take-out food packaging constitutes a major source of litter in Fairfax and contributes to the total amount of waste entering the town’s waste stream.
(D) Disposable plastic containers and wrappers used for take-out foods are essentially not biodegradable and, as waste, do not decompose over time in the natural environment; the use of these containers and wrappers has increased annually. Polystyrene foam litter, in particular, is highly durable, buoyant and non-biodegradable and therefore persists and detracts from the appearance of the area longer than many other types of litter.
(E) Plastic litter, including polystyrene foam, poses a potential threat to wildlife. It enters the marine and natural environment and is ingested by, or entangles, aquatic wildlife, frequently causing death and damages the ecological balance.
(F) Polystyrene foam is a petroleum processing by-product. Oil is a non-renewable resource, which can only be obtained by increasingly hazardous methods, such as off-shore drilling, which poses significant dangers to the environment. Alternative products which are degradable or recyclable pose far less overall hazards than continued and expanded reliance on oil-based products.
(G) It is in the interest of the health, safety and welfare of all who live, work and do business in the town that the amount of litter on the public streets, parks, waterways, public places and open spaces be reduced.
(H) Although the waste stream within Marin County is large and diverse, steps at the local level, no matter how small, can significantly support waste management programs in lieu of landfilling.
(I) The provisions of this chapter are consistent with the county’s Solid Waste Management Plan, and the legislative findings and intent of AB939.
(Prior Code, § 8.10.010) (Ord. 623, passed
11-2-1993
)