Maybe your first question is, “what is polystyrene?” Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a foam product that is frequently mistaken as Styrofoam and is most commonly used as food and beverage containers such as bowls, trays, cartons, cups and clamshell/hinged containers. Polystyrene can take up to 500 years or more to naturally decompose.
At our council meeting on Tuesday night, several students from the Youth Leadership Institute addressed the council during our quarterly agenda setting meeting to ask us if we would consider a ban similar to that of San Rafael, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Fairfax and the County of Marin. In fact, about 60 communities in the state have instituted similar bans.
The students are to be commended for their advocacy on this issue and did an excellent job during public comment by requesting that we put the item on a future agenda. The council agreed, and will be discussing the topic in the next few months.
What are your thoughts with regards to a ban? Should Novato adopt an ordinance and if so, how much time should merchants be given before the ban goes into effect? Are there certain polystyrene uses that should be specifically included or excluded?
john c. stewart
Are you serious about bringing this issue up as an issue? Given all of the other issues facing this city - this is the best you can do? When we met a number of months back, you stated that you were interested in pursuing issues that were truly important to the City of Novato. What happened to and increased crime and affordable housing? Your silence on real issues facing Novato has been deafening!
By the way, I am confident that you are capable of multitasking in your job as Novato City Councilman and can work on more than one issue at a time. Thank you for your service.
Maybe before going forward, you might want to talk to some manufacturers in Novato. I know that Novato recently lost most of Biomarin to San Rafael. It would be a shame to lose the rest of it, because they need to use polystyrene. Polystyrene is bad news, but don't we wanting to be attracting businesses to Novato, instead of pushing them out? However, if a ban on polystyrene will be the first step in getting Novato out of ABAG, then by all means.
A whole box of packing peanuts can be melted, like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz, by just dropping them into a container of acetone, a common solvent ( the active ingredient in nail polish remover,) which can be purchased cheaply at any hardware store. It only takes about an ounce of acetone to dissolve a whole cardboard box full of packing peanuts, as these are about 98% air. What will be left is a soft plastic putty which can be molded into all sorts of useful plastic items. A whole cardboard box full of "peanuts" can be reduced to about a cubic inch of plastic putty. When the acetone fully evaporates from the styrene putty in a few days, the styrene will be a hard, dense plastic, which can be discarded in the trash if you lack the creativity to sculpt it into something artistic. This is also a pretty good science fair project for a ten year old. Better living through chemistry!
Costco provides boxes for customers not plastic, not paper bags. I do not know if it uses styrofoam. Whole Foods uses paper containers. Reducing the use of these items is an environmental issue in preventing the loss of human lives, animals and plants. It is an interconnecting thread that relates to the prevention of pollution and releasing particulates into the air. It reduces deaths from lung disease in children and adults. This thread of excess plastic use is detrimental to our oceans, lakes, rivers, creeks, babbling brooks, and water supply. Plastics and its off- gassing of particulates are in our food supply and in the land affecting animals and plants. Even the Redwood dump advocates for reducing particulates from plastics. This dump is only 50 feet from San Antonio waterway leading to Petaluma River, the bay, and Pacific Ocean. The smell from the decay and pollution is so bad that the water way is not conducive for boating or fishing. I want my grandchildren to be able to better function in an environment that promotes a healthier and happier existence, an environment that is the result of good stewardship of the planet. Reducing particulates and off-gassing by reducing the numbers of plastic bags is a good thing. Hooray for Marc Levine and for Eric Lucan in addressing timely problems of shorter life spans, and related health issues. Thank you
Perhaps the students could also approach our State Assembly Representative, Marc Levine about following up his legislation for a statewide plastic bag ban with another for polystyrene.
Reducing the use of these items is an environmental issue in preventing the loss of human lives, animals and plants. It relates to the prevention of pollution from releasing particulates into the air. Prevention reduces deaths from lung disease in children and adults. Excess plastic use is detrimental to our oceans, lakes, rivers, creeks, babbling brooks and our water supply. Plastics and its off- gassing of particulates are in our food supply and in the land affecting animals and plants. Even the Redwood dump advocates for reducing particulates from plastics. This dump is only 50 feet from San Antonio waterway leading to Petaluma River, the bay, and Pacific Ocean. The smell from the decay and pollution is so bad that the water way is not conducive for boating or fishing. I want my grandchildren to be able to better function in an environment that promotes a healthier and happier existence, an environment that is the result of good stewardship of the planet. Reducing particulates and off-gassing by reducing the numbers of plastic bags is a good thing. Hooray for Marc Levine and for Eric Lucan in addressing timely problems of shorter life spans, death from pollutants and particulates, and related health issues. Thank you
Until we have final approval of the draft housing element I would hope that you would create a dialogue that speaks to the efforts to create balanced housing and a balanced budget. Finding new revenue sources by bringing businesses to Novato that can put sales tax money into city coffers would take the stress off of local residents that bear increased burdens of higher fees for permits, business licenses, and the increased sales tax for Measure F. How do you feel about the 20 unit per acre designation? Will you support the housing element that was submitted in October? Do you see Novato as having created affordable housing opportunities through Rotary, Eden House, Habitat for Humanity and other projects? How much do you focus on issues like these that affect our bottom line?
My concern is the off-gassing of particulates adding to health issues in children and adults causing pain, expensive remedies and early death. While I favor low-density housing, low traffic exhausts, and excellent schools, it is a breath of fresh air that young adults led by Eric Lucan are studying science, math and the fine arts in order to bring about a better environment. This so connects with the curriculum in schools. It is these young adults who will be better business minded in the future because of their interests in Novato’s environment. Go for it, Kids. Thanks to you and Eric Lucan.
Who knew it was that simple! Where were you when my kids were young and this would have made me the coolest Mom on the block! Peter uses them when he packs books to mail. We recycle everything. I tend to believe that real change happens slowly because much of what we do, we do out of fear rather than reason. Are the corn starch packing peanuts any better or worse for the environment?