, FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS GABRIELA CARLOTTA ZAPATA DISTRICT ONE CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, RESILIENCY AND PARKS. TODAY'S JULY 16TH, 2025 AND THE
EXACT TIME IS 1016. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED . IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DARK OF FORWARD SLASH CITY DASH COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON CHANNEL EIGHT RCN
CHANNEL 82 AND FIREHOUSE CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT SIX EEP AT BOSTON DOT GOV AND WILL BE
MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR
CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON RON COBB AT OUR END AS IN NANCY DODD C O B AS IN BOY B AND BOY AT BOSTON DOT GOV. FOR THE LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST.
TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 0315 IN ORDER FOR A HEARING TO ASSESS A BAN ON POLYSTYRENE PRODUCTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THE MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY
MYSELF AND CO-SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT RUTI LOUIJEUNE AND BEN WEBER AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 29TH. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL . COUNCILOR FLYNN
COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE. WE ALSO HAVE LETTERS OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR PATTON AND BEN WEBER BUT COUNCIL WEBER HAS SENT QUESTIONS INCLUDED IN HIS LETTER WHICH I WILL ASK.
I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL BEFORE WE GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS THEY MAY HAVE. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I DON'T HAVE ANY OPENING
STATEMENT. LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR BEING WITH US. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION AND I'M PROUD TO BE A CO-SPONSOR ON THIS LEGISLATION. THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS ALREADY MADE STRONG COMMITMENTS TO REDUCING OUR WASTE FOOTPRINT. OUR ZERO WASTE BLAST INITIATIVE SETS AN AMBITIOUS GOAL TO
DRAMATICALLY REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE AND COMPOST 80 TO 90% OF OUR SOLID WASTE. WE'VE SEEN POSITIVE EFFORTS INCLUDING THE EXPANSION OF OUR CURBSIDE FOOD WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM. HOWEVER, A SIGNIFICANT BEAR
BARRIER REMAINS THE PRESENCE OF POLYSTYRENE STYROFOAM. THIS MATERIAL PRESENTS A MULTIFACETED PROBLEM. IT'S NOT ACCEPTED BY CURBSIDE RECYCLING PROCESS AND LAND SAT IN LANDFILLS FOR CENTURIES AND
POSES SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS. AND THERE ARE 70 MUNICIPALITIES ALREADY ALMOST 70 MISMANAGED ACROSS COUNTRIES WHO HAVE ALREADY ENACTED SOME FORM OF POLYSTYRENE BAN.
CONSIDERING THE STAGGERING AMOUNT OF FOAM PRODUCTS LIKE CUPS AND PACKAGING MATERIALS THAT ACCUMULATE IN OUR LANDFILLS AND WATERWAYS ANNUALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BIODEGRADABLE. DISTURBINGLY, THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
HAS PLEDGED TO STYRENE AS A POTENTIAL CARCINOGEN, NOTING ITS HIGHLY TOXIC IMPACT ON THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH BURDENS OF POLYSTYRENE ARE NOT SHARED EQUALLY ACROSS OUR CITY. THE IMPACT OF THIS TOXIC
CHEMICAL OFTEN DOES APPLY DISPROPORTIONATELY SITED AND USE IN NEIGHBORHOODS PRIMARILY IN OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT WAY FOR US TO BE ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS AN
EASY TRANSITION. ONE OF MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTS USES POLYSTYRENE AND SO YOU KNOW THERE WILL BE SOME EDUCATION INVOLVED AND SOME SOME SUPPORT INVOLVED BUT I
THINK THE POSITIVE HEALTH IMPACTS OUTWEIGH ANY OF THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALSO TALK ABOUT. SO HAPPY TO BE WITH US HERE TODAY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE
STUDENTS FROM MARCUS ANTHONY HALL EDUCATION INITIATIVE WITH PRISCILLA FOR JOINING US HERE IN THE CHAMBER TODAY. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL. AND ONE I JUST WANTED TO THANK
CRISTIAN GARY DANKO WHO HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL IN OUR OFFICE IN HELPING US TO DEVELOP OUR THOUGHTS ON HOW WE THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE. SO ONE OF THE THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I WANT TO REITERATE JUST THE GRATITUDE
FOR EVERYBODY IN BEING HERE TODAY FOR THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. I PREPARED SOME REMARKS AND THEN WE CAN PASS IT OVER TO THE ADMIN. TODAY'S HEARING IS AN IMPORTANT
ONE AS WE DISCUSS HOW TO TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE, PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. OUR HEARING CENTERS ON A SIMPLE
BUT POWERFUL IDEA WE CAN AND MUST DO BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO ELIMINATING HARMFUL OUTDATED MATERIALS LIKE POLYSTYRENE COMMONLY KNOWN AS STYROFOAM. THIS IS IN MATERIAL THAT CANNOT
BE RECYCLED TAKES OVER 500 YEARS TO BREAK DOWN AND LEACHES TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO OUR FOOD, WATER AND ECOSYSTEMS. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTING AND PERSISTENT FORMS OF PLASTIC
WASTE IN OUR LANDFILLS AND OUR ENVIRONMENT. BOSTON HAS ALREADY TAKEN BOLD STEPS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH INITIATIVES LIKE OUR 2018 PLASTIC BAG MAN AND OUR ZERO WASTE BOSTON PLAN.
BUT WE ARE NOW BEHIND 60 OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN MASSACHUSETTS AND MANY MORE ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE BANNED POLYSTYRENE IN SOME FORM. CITIES LIKE CAMBRIDGE, NEWTON,
BALTIMORE, SEATTLE AND NEW YORK HAVE SHOWN US THAT A PHASE OUT IS POSSIBLE AND EFFECTIVE WHEN PAIRED WITH BUSINESS SUPPORT COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND EQUITY
FOCUSED IMPLEMENTATION. THIS CONVERSATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. IT IS ALSO ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND JUSTICE. POLYSTYRENE IS MADE FROM STYRENE A CHEMICAL THAT THE CDC
HAS IDENTIFIED AS QUOTE REASONABLY REASONABLY ANTICIPATED TO BE A HUMAN CARCINOGEN. AND AS IS TOO OFTEN THE CASE, THE BURDEN OF THIS POLLUTION FALLS HARDEST ON LOW INCOME AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
COMMUNITIES WHERE LANDFILLS AND INCINERATORS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LOCATED AND WHERE LOW COST TOXIC PACKAGING IS MORE FREQUENTLY USED. THIS MOVEMENT WAS SPARKED BY THE INSPIRING ADVOCACY OF GIRL
SCOUT TROOP 68277 IN DORCHESTER. I JUST WANT TO SHUT THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE HERE IN PERSON AND WE WILL HEAR FROM THEM SHORTLY. THIS IS THE SAME GIRL SCOUT TROOP WHO WAS THE CATALYST IN THE PLASTIC BAG BAN BACK WHEN
COUNCILOR O'MALLEY WAS CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE. SO I JUST WANT TO SHOUT THEM OUT AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY OFFICE WITH THE FACTS AND THE PASSION AND THE VISION TO DEMAND CHANGE. I'M SO HONORED TO CARRY FORWARD
YOUR MESSAGE HERE TODAY WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AND EXPLORE WHAT IS A FAST, THOUGHTFUL, PHASED AND EQUITABLE PLAN FOR PALESTINE. EVERYBODY WINS AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.
AND NOW I WILL PASS IT OVER TO ALICE BROWN WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT AND DONALD WRIGHT, DEPUTY CHIEF OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND INCLUSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE TODAY AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO YOU IN YOUR PREFERRED ORDER. GREAT. GOOD MORNING, COUNCILORS. THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS.
WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TACKLING THIS ISSUE OF POLYSTYRENE USE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AS THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY I OVERSEE THE WORK OF THE STAFF OF THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
COMMISSION AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY. COLLECTIVELY WE ARE WORKING ON ENSURING THAT OUR WATER SYSTEMS ARE CLEAN AND PROTECTED, THAT OUR AIR QUALITY REMAINS GOOD AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAVE THE
TOOLS TO IMPROVE IT AND THAT WASTE STREAMS ARE DIFFERENTIATED AND LESS WASTE IS PRODUCED AS MANY ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS TEAM IS CONSIDERING THE
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ALONGSIDE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS. THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY OR ZERO WASTE EFFORTS OF THE CITY ENVISION A BOSTON WHERE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES
PRODUCE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WASTE IN THEIR DAILY LIVES AS WELL AS LARGER SYSTEMS LIKE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND DECONSTRUCTION IN AN IDEAL FUTURE. SINGLE USE ITEMS WOULD LARGELY BE ELIMINATED BECAUSE OF THE
PREVALENCE OF REUSABLE CONTAINERS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THEM RETURNED AND CLEANED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE USE OF POLYSTYRENE PARTICULARLY IN TAKEOUT CONTAINERS LEADS TO LITTERING
AS YOU NOTED PERPETUATES THE USE OF NON-RECYCLABLE SINGLE USE PRODUCTS AND MAY POSE HEALTH RISKS TO HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THE CITY CAN HELP TO RESOLVE THIS CHALLENGE WITH ALTERNATIVES AND BEST
PRACTICES. AS YOU'VE NOTED, POLYSTYRENE BANS ARE PREVALENT IN MANY PIER CITIES AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. THERE ARE 66 MUNICIPALITIES IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT HAVE BANS ON POLYSTYRENE.
INCLUDING OUR NEIGHBORS IN BROOKLINE, CAMBRIDGE REVERE, SOMERVILLE AND WINTHROP. THERE ARE MAJOR CITIES ACROSS THE U.S. INCLUDING LOS ANGELES AND WASHINGTON D.C. AND SEVERAL BORDERING STATES INCLUDING
MAINE, NEW YORK AND VERMONT. REGIONALLY POLYSTYRENE IS ONE OF THE TOP TEN CONTRIBUTORS TO ENVIRONMENTAL LITTER AND AS NOTED, IT CANNOT BE RECYCLED AND TAKES HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO DECOMPOSE.
LIKE MOST PACKAGING IN BOSTON, MOST PACKAGING THROWN AWAY IN BOSTON, I WANT TO NOTE THAT IT IS LIKELY TO BE INCINERATED IF IT IS DISPOSED OF IN WASTE RECEPTACLES. IT IS NOT LIKELY TO BE GOING TO
LANDFILLS WHEN IT DOESN'T MAKE IT TO A TRASH CAN. IT CAN MAKE THE CITY LOOK DIRTY IN PAVED AREAS, MAKE IT HARDER FOR PLANTS TO GROW IN NATURAL AREAS AND IT CAN POLLUTE THE WATER IF IT BLOWS INTO OUR STREAMS, RIVERS, PONDS OR THE
HARBOR. POLYSTYRENE IS NOT UNIQUE IN BEING A SINGLE USE PRODUCT THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WASTE STREAM. THERE ARE NUMEROUS PACKAGING MATERIALS THAT MAY BE REGULATED
IN THE FUTURE OR FOR WHICH ALTERNATIVES CAN BE CREATED WITHOUT FEDERAL OR STATE ACTION ON EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY. MANY TYPES OF PACKAGING WILL STILL EXIST IN THE CITY BUT THE COUNCIL HAS RECOGNIZED WITH
THIS HEARING THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE PROLIFERATION OF SINGLE USE MATERIALS BY RECONSIDERING HOW FOOD IS SERVED BY RESTAURANTS, INSTITUTIONS AND VENUES ACROSS BOSTON.
WHEN CONSIDERING FOOD AND BEVERAGE PACKAGING THERE IS A RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES TO POLYESTER RAIN AND AS THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO REDUCE LITTER AND
THE USE OF SINGLE USE PRODUCTS, WE HOPE THAT IT WEIGHS THE INTENDED OUTCOMES AGAINST THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. ONE STRATEGY TO REDUCE WASTE IS TO REQUIRE THAT ALL RESTAURANTS PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH A FULL
RANGE OF REUSABLE MATERIALS FOR USE IN THE RESTAURANT. THAT INCLUDES DURABLE AND WASHABLE CUPS PLATES, GLASSES AND CUTLERY. SIMILAR REQUIREMENTS COULD MANDATE AT INSTITUTIONS AS AND
LARGE VENUES USE UTILIZE REUSABLE CUPS AND TRAYS WHETHER FOR IN-HOUSE FOOD SERVICE OR TAKEOUT FOOD SERVICE. THERE ARE A RANGE OF WAYS TO SUPPORT THE SHIFT AWAY FROM POLYSTYRENE.
YOU COULD REQUIRE NEW FOOD BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS TO HAVE ONSITE DISHWASHING. YOU CAN CREATE MORE PATHWAYS FOR HEALTH CODE PERMITTING THAT ENABLES REUSE AND REFILLING.
WE COULD DO BULK PURCHASE OR PURCHASES OF ALTERNATIVES TO POLYSTYRENE CONTAINERS IN ORDER TO LOWER THE COST OF ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS FOR BUSINESSES AND WE COULD PILOT THE DISTRIBUTION OF REUSABLE
MATERIALS TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AS DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES TO POLYSTYRENE ARE CONSIDERED. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT REMOVING THESE PRODUCTS FROM THE WASTE STREAM MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO ADDRESS SOME
OF THE CONCERNS LISTED ABOVE. REUSING MATERIALS IS MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE THAN RECYCLING THEM AND FULLY RECYCLABLE PRODUCTS LIKE ALUMINUM PACKAGING ARE PREFERRED TO PLASTIC CONTAINERS THAT CAN ONLY BE MADE INTO NEW
PRODUCTS. A LIMITED NUMBER OF TIMES TO ACHIEVE A FULL RANGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS A SUITE OF PATHWAYS TO SUPPORTING BEHAVIOR CHANGE WILL BE BENEFICIAL. WE CAN NORMALIZE AND CORRECT
HABITS OF SORTING REUSABLE CONTAINERS, RECYCLABLE MATERIALS AND COMPOST AND WE CAN CREATE TYPES OF TO-GO CONTAINERS THAT CAN BE TAKEN, RETURNED, WASHED AND REUSED ALL ACROSS THE CITY OR THE REGION.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALICE YOU'VE BEEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION YOUR ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL CAREER SO JUST VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE AND HAVE YOUR EXPERTISE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. WE'LL GO TO DONALD WRIGHT, DEPUTY CHIEF OF ALL IOWA. GOOD MORNING COUNCILORS AND
EVERYONE IN THE IN THE ROOM HERE. JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF STYROFOAM ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE ROBUST CONVERSATION BECAUSE AS WE DO
KNOW THAT STYROFOAM ARE USED BY OUR BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES AS A WAY IN WHICH TO CUT COSTS . IT IS A WAY THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO A SUPPLY CHAIN
OF MATTER. LET ME JUST SAY IT THIS WAY A SUPPLY CHAIN THAT SPEAKS SPECIFICALLY TO BLACK AND BROWN SUPPLIERS IS THAT THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
SO GOING OUTSIDE OF THAT SUPPLY CHAIN IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT WHICH COULD ADDITIONALLY INCREASE COSTS. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO AS ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'LL GO TO MY LEAD CO-SPONSOR FOR ANY QUESTION SHE MAY HAVE FIRST AND THEN COUNCILOR FLYNN AND THEN I HAVE A MYRIAD
OF QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO BOTH ALICE AND DONALD FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO EVERYDAY FOR OUR CITY AND FOR YOUR INSIGHT HERE. DONALD, I DO WANT TO START WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW IT IS ALWAYS A CONCERN ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT IN THE TRANSITION WHERE HOW DO WE HOW
ARE WE THE LEAST DISRUPTIVE TO BUSINESS OPERATIONS BUT ALSO RIGHT LIKE THE MOAT. WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS ALSO HAS A DEEP IMPACT, RIGHT? LIKE WHEN WHEN WE ALSO PEOPLE
GO IN AND TAKE THAT STYROFOAM AND THEN PUT IT IN THE MICROWAVE AND THEN EAT FROM THAT LIKE THE INCREASED HEALTH RISKS ARE ALSO LIKE NOT GOOD FOR OUR FOLKS.
AND SO I WONDER IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO AND I THINK EVEN ONE FOR EXAMPLE THE ROLLOUT OF LEGALIZE CANNABIS. PART OF THE WORK WAS LIKE I
KNOW THAT STATES LIKE VIRGINIA GAVE LIKE A LOT OF LEEWAY TO THAT FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY CANNABIS COULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW,
LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD AND GET USED TO YOU KNOW, GET THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US HERE TO WORK WITH THOSE SUPPLY CHAINS THAT HAVE THE CONTACTS BLANK ESPECIALLY THE ONES IN BLACK AND BROWN
COMMUNITY TO INTRODUCE THEM TO ALTERNATIVES. WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE TO GET THEM UP TO SPEED SO AS NOT TO HAVE TO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO LIKE CHANGE THE VENDORS THEY USE THE SUPPLIERS THEY USE
ESPECIALLY IF THESE ARE MWB SUPPLIERS TO INFORM THEM OR EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE SWITCH THAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO ENCOURAGE. AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION COUNCIL I THINK IT'S A BROAD
EDUCATE. I THINK IT IS MULTI-FACETED AND THAT WE TALK ABOUT PHASED OR HOW DO YOU LITERALLY GET TO THE POINT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO CURRENTLY WITH YOUR INVENTORY?
WHAT IS THE COMPLIANCE SIDE OF THIS AS WELL FOR THOSE BUSINESSES AS THEY ATTEMPT TO TRANSITION ON TO IT COST WHO IS GOING TO PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES TO THEM TO MAKE THAT
TRANSITION? AND SO I THINK IT'S A BROADER APPROACH TO IT. WE AS A AS A DEPARTMENT, AS A CABINET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WRITE TO ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES. RIGHT.
AND SO WANTING TO PROPERLY EDUCATE THEM IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, ETC. IS ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THOSE STEPS. THANK YOU. YEAH, I MEAN YOU ALL DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AND
INCREASINGLY A GOOD JOB AT PROVIDING THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT FOLKS THAT BUSINESS OWNERS AND OPERATORS NEED ESPECIALLY ONES THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A ROLE FOR THE MAIN STREET'S TO PLAY HELPING TO EDUCATE AND SUPPORT BUSINESSES IN A TRANSITION AND TO ALSO THINK ABOUT I MEAN I
KNOW THIS IS A DIFFICULT ONE FOR US TO THINK ABOUT GRANTS GIVEN WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL BUT SUPPORT FINANCIAL SUPPORT YOU KNOW, REALLY WE'RE AT THE POINT WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE MORE THAN 60
MUNICIPAL DAYS HAVE ALREADY PASSED THE BAN. LOOK, IT'S LIKE ALMOST HALF OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES AND LOCALITIES IN THE STATE AND IT REALLY SHOULD AT SOME POINT
BECOME A STATEWIDE ISSUE. I'M WONDERING IF YOU KNOW AND OTHER PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE THERE COULD BE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP US AND THAT WOULD BE YES AND I WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE TO RESEARCH.
COUNCILOR, OUR MAIN STREETS ARE A HUGE RESOURCE FOR THOSE IMMIGRANT AND BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES AND SO STARTING WITH THEM AND HAVING SOME LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THEM IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE IMPERATIVE FOR US.
THANK YOU. I WILL NOTE, COUNSELOR, THAT MANY GRANTS THAT HELP BUSINESSES TRANSITION FROM SINGLE USE PRODUCTS TO REUSABLE PRODUCTS ACTUALLY ARE ONLY ELIGIBLE FOR BUSINESSES IN
COMMUNITIES WITHOUT THE BAN. SO IF THERE WAS TO BE A LEAD UP TO WHEN THE BAN WAS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED, THIS IS SORT OF THE WINDOW TO HELP FOLKS ACCESS THOSE GRANTS PRIOR TO A BAN AND
IS THAT THAT DOES THAT AT THE CITY LEVEL STATE LEVEL. SOME ARE STATE AND SOME ARE ACTUALLY FOUNDATION LED FOUNDATIONS. AWESOME. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN WHAT'S THE CITY'S CURRENT CAPACITY FOR SUPPORTING A TRANSITION TO COMPOSTABLE AND
RECYCLABLE FOOD PACKAGING? AT PRESENT THERE ISN'T AN OFFICIAL PROGRAM TO DO THAT. OKAY. AND WHAT WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED? LIKE WHAT WERE THE TOOLS AND THE STAFFING BE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT TO GO BACK?
YEAH, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAN AHEAD BUDGET WISE TO SORT OF SET UP. I THINK THERE'S LIKE I MENTIONED IN MY TESTIMONY DID A COUPLE TYPES OF PROCESSES THAT
OTHER MUNICIPALITIES HAVE USED. SO ONE FOCUSES ON EITHER THE CITY BEING BULK PURCHASES, EITHER OF TAKEAWAY CONTAINERS OR REUSABLE FOR IN HOUSE DINING CONTAINERS.
BOTH OF THOSE SYSTEMS THE CITY COULD BULK PURCHASE SOMETHING AND THEN PROVIDE THOSE AS EFFECTIVELY AS GRANTS OR THE CITY CAN PROVIDE GRANTS TO BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOING IT.
THERE ARE EXISTING STATE LEVEL GRANTS TO HELP BUSINESSES TRANSITION FROM SINGLE FROM SINGLE USE OVER TO REUSABLE. I ALSO THINK THERE'S A QUESTION OF GIVEN THE REGIONAL NATURE
OF THESE BANS ALREADY IS WORKING WITH LARGER REGIONAL ENTITIES LIKE APEC OR SOME OTHER ENTITY THAT COULD HELP TO DO A LARGER TRANSITION FOR THE REGION OR CREATE A SORT OF LIST
OF WHERE ARE THOSE PACKAGING MATERIALS. AT PRESENT WE DON'T HAVE A FULL TIME STAFF PERSON WHO IS THINKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT REUSE. WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO'S THINKING ABOUT ALL THINGS CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND THE PUBLIC
WORKS TEAM IS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON THINGS ONCE THEY'VE BECOME TRASH. SO THIS IS SORT OF A NEW SPACE OF HELPING PEOPLE BE MORE ANTICIPATORY. THANK YOU. AND THEN ONE FINAL QUESTION AND
IT JUST DOVETAILS LIKE DO WE KNOW ARE BUSINESSES MAKING GOOD USE OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL AND FOUNDATION OUT OF STATE AND LOCAL AND FOUNDATIONAL SUPPORT BEING GIVEN RIGHT NOW FOR TRANSITION?
LIKE ARE ARE THERE APPLICANTS WHO ARE BEING TURNED AWAY? ARE THERE NOT ENOUGH APPLICANTS DO YOU DO I DON'T THINK THEY'RE APPLYING YOU DON'T THINK FOLKS ARE APPLYING? CORRECT. AND WHY IS THAT? I DON'T SPEAK TO I DON'T HAVE
THE DUTIES OF A SMALL BUSINESS AND I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO TO TO RESPOND YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY IN THAT DETAIL. BUT THERE MAY BE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY THESE BUSINESSES
HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR THOSE FUNDINGS. COMPLICATION WITH THAT YOU KNOW, APPLICATIONS NOT UNDERSTANDING THE DETAILS COMPLIANCE THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND WHAT ACTUALLY IT ALL MEANS.
SO IT MAY NOT BE AS CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR MANY OF THEM TO ASK BUT I CAN'T SAY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN QUESTIONS AROUND THAT IN OUR OFFICE BUT I COULD RESEARCH RIGHT BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE
THE SECONDARY TERTIARY ISSUE THAT LIKE A SMALL BUSINESS THEY JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEIR WORKERS PAID, HOW TO MAKE SURE THE DEVELOPING BUSINESS YOU KNOW AND I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO GIVE OUR MAIN STREETS MORE WORK AND THEY OFTEN ARE UNDERSTAFFED THEMSELVES AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING BUT THIS IS GOOD
TO KNOW. SO THANK YOU. AND I THINK THAT THE THIS HEARING IN GENERAL AND THE MORE THAT YOU AS COUNCILORS AND LEADERS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ARE TALKING ABOUT IT LIKE THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING A HUGE
WAY FORWARD. IT'S ACTUALLY NOT SOMETHING THAT RESIDENTS BRING UP THAT OFTEN TO US EVEN WHEN WE'RE WORKING IN THIS SPACE DIRECTLY. AND SO BUILDING A CONVERSATION
ABOUT IT IN BOSTON I THINK WILL ACTUALLY GO A LONG WAY BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN MUCH DISCUSSED. YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO A BUSINESS OWNER WHO WAS ACTUALLY AND I SAID THIS TO THE COUNSELOR THAT HE WAS GOING ALL THE WAY TO NEW YORK AND THIS IS
PRIOR TO THE PLASTIC BAG BAN BECAUSE THAT WAS PART OF HIS HIS SUPPLY CHAIN AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR ETHNIC FOOD PROVIDERS WORK. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HE WAS DRIVING TO NEW YORK TO PICK UP PLASTIC
SHOES AND HE WAS NOT JUST PICKING THEM UP FOR HIMSELF, HE WAS DISTRIBUTING FOR HIS BLACK OTHERS. RIGHT. SO SO HE WAS LIKE THE MIDDLEWARE. RIGHT. AND THAT THAT'S IN THE SAME CASE WHETHER YOU KNOW, STYROFOAM OR PLASTIC BAG
PRODUCTS. YEAH. IS ONE ONE SORT OF WHOLESALE AND IT GOES OUT THE DOOR THAT WAY. NOW JUST PRESENTS TO ME THAT THERE'S LIKE SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY I MEAN THERE'S A CAPACITY ISSUE. THERE'S SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY FOR
US TO HELP BUSINESSES ESPECIALLY BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITIES LIKE DO THINGS IN A WAY THAT'S LIKE MORE EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL.
WE'RE LIKE ENVIRONMENTS WINNING ARE PEOPLE ARE WINNING THE BUSINESS ARE WINNING THE SAME TIME. IT'S JUST A CAPACITY ISSUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR FLYNN THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO ALICE AND TO DONALD AS WELL. I LISTENED CLOSELY TO THE QUESTIONS AND TO YOUR TESTIMONY
AS WELL AND LET ME LET ME START WITH WITH YOU DONALD DONALD HAVE WE. HAS BOSTON ACTUALLY TALKED TO RESTAURANTS?
LISTEN TO RESTAURANTS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THIS WOULD HAVE ON THEM WHETHER IT'S BLACK AND BROWN OWNED RESTAURANTS, WHETHER IT'S WOMAN OWNED RESTAURANTS, WHETHER IT'S ALL RESTAURANT OWNERS THAT ARE
WOULD BE EVENTUALLY BY THIS HAVE WE LISTENED TO THEM AND TALKED TO THEM OR ASKED THEIR OPINION? I'M SURE THAT THAT WORK IS BEING DONE BY OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS SINCE NOT IN PARTICULAR OUR DEPARTMENT PER
SE. I'M NOT JUST ON THE ENVIRONMENT SIDE NOT WHERE OF WORK BUT WE DO KNOW IS THAT ANY SORT OF TRANSITION IS GOING TO BE A FINANCIAL IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESS THAT'S THERE. THANK YOU DONALD.
THAT'S THE CHALLENGE I HAVE. I LISTEN TO ALICE CLOSELY AND I SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS THAT THIS WOULD HAVE BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE
FINANCIAL IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON RESTAURANTS IN BOSTON OR GREATER BOSTON AND MANY OF THEM AS YOU KNOW THEIR PROFIT MARGIN IS VERY, VERY SMALL.
BUT BUT IF THIS WAS IMPLEMENTED, DONALD, WOULD IT BE AN ADDED PRICE FOR THE RESTAURANT TO INSTEAD OF INSTEAD OF BUYING STYROFOAM
THEY BOUGHT A NEW A NEW PRODUCT IS THAT NEW PRODUCT WHATEVER IS ON THE MARKET IS THAT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN STYROFOAM? I JUST THINK THE YOU KNOW, THE ADDITIONAL COSTS WOULD WOULD
HAVE TO BE CAPTURED SOMEWHERE. YOU'RE RIGHT. AND BRINGING THAT TO MARKET SO SO EVENTUALLY EVENTUALLY IT IS
AN INCREASE IN THE PRICE FOR PROBABLY THE CONSUMER COULD BE IT COULD BE AT THE CONSUMER OR THE RESTAURANT OWNER BECAUSE I
MEAN THEY USE THESE PRODUCTS OBVIOUSLY AS A AS A COST SAVER AND EVEN IN THE EVENT OF ATTEMPTING TO TRANSITION, WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO MAKE THOSE THOSE DOLLARS UP? SO YEAH, YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I REPRESENT CHINATOWN AS YOU KNOW AND THE USE OF STYROFOAM THESE TYPES OF STYROFOAM CONTAINERS ARE USED FREQUENTLY
THROUGHOUT CHINATOWN. MANY OF THE RESTAURANTS AS YOU KNOW IMMIGRANT OWNS WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. I WANT TO KNOW AGAIN, I'M JUST KIND OF ASKING THE QUESTION OUT
LOUD. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON ON THEM DURING DIFFICULT ECONOMIC CHALLENGING TIMES.
I ALSO KNOW THAT OUR RESTAURANTS AND IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN BOSTON THEY DON'T NECESSARILY MAKE A HUGE PROFIT MARGIN AND WANT TO KNOW
WHAT IMPACT THIS WOULD HAVE ON THEM IN THEIR BOTTOM LINE IF EVENTUALLY WOULD COST THEM TO GO OUT OF GO OUT OF BUSINESS. WE DO KNOW THAT A HIGH
PERCENTAGE OF RESTAURANTS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 40% OR 50% EVENTUALLY GO OUT OF BUSINESS FOR VARIOUS REASONS. BUT IS THIS IS THIS AN ADDED
TAX ON OR AN ADDED FEE OR AN ADDED COST? DO DO WE GET A SENSE OF THAT UNLESS I GOT I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE SUPPLY CHAIN SO MANY
BUSINESSES IN BOSTON HAVE CONVERTED OVER TIME AWAY FROM STYROFOAM. SO I MEAN THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU GET TAKEOUT YOU MAY EXPERIENCE THAT THERE ARE PLACES THAT ARE SERVING THINGS
NOW YOU KNOW IN A CARDBOARD BOWL OR IN A CARDBOARD BOX OR THERE IS AN ALUMINUM FOIL CONTAINER. RIGHT. THERE'S MANY ALTERNATIVES. AND I THINK THE IF YOU GO TO
ANY OF THE FOOD HALLS AROUND HERE, YOU'LL NOTICE NONE OF THEM ARE USING STYROFOAM AND AGAIN, THAT MIGHT BE A PRICE POINT FOR THE FOOD ITSELF OR IT MIGHT BE JUST LIKE A CULTURAL TRANSITION OR IT MIGHT BE A REQUIREMENT OF THE FACILITY.
SO I THINK WE ARE SEEING A TRANSITION BY INDIVIDUAL BUILDING BUSINESSES CHOICE BY CHOICE BUT WE DON'T HAVE I THINK YOU KNOW EACH BUSINESS IS MAKING A CHOICE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE BUYING ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
AND TO DONALD'S POINT I THINK SOME OF IT IS JUST HABIT. YEAH I I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IMPACT THIS WOULD HAVE ON RESTAURANTS AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE RESTAURANTS GO OUT
OF BUSINESS. THEY PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR CITY AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ESPECIALLY MANY OF THEM ARE SMALL BUSINESSES, SMALL RESTAURANTS, RESTAURANTS ARE
SMALL BUSINESSES EMPLOY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN HAVING THIS ADDED FEE, HAVING AN ADDED PRICE IT HAVING AN ADDED TAX SAY I DON'T KNOW
IF THAT'S THE RIGHT ANSWER AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. I DO JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST CONVERSATION.
THIS IS A DISCUSSION. THIS IS A HEARING, A FACT FINDING MISSION. JUST SIMPLY UNDERSTAND AND WHAT THE FEASIBILITY IS AND OR TO
ASSESS A BAN ON POLYSTYRENE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. LIKE ULTIMATELY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING IN ALL VOICES AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CONVERSATION. I DO JUST WANT TO CALL IT THE
FACT THAT WE DID REACH OUT TO THE MASSACHUSETTS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE MASSACHUSETTS FOOD ASSOCIATION. I THINK WE REACHED OUT TO THE SIERRA CLUB AND MANY OTHER FOLKS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THOUGHTFUL,
INTENTIONAL RESEARCH BEFORE ANY SORT OF POLICY WORK IS BEING DONE. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW UNTIL
AFTER THE FACT. BUT THIS IS JUST TO GET AN INFORMATION. WHAT I'M HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS PARTICULAR HEARING IS TO JUST UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, EXISTING WORK WITHIN THE
ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT BUILDING ON WHAT RESEARCH HAS ALREADY HAPPENED ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE HASN'T BEEN REALLY THIS SPACE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON TO OR NO PARTICULAR
PERSON RATHER NO STAFF MEMBER THAT HAS LOOKED AT TRANSITIONING FROM SINGLE USE TO REUSABLE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD TALK THROUGH TECHNICAL TECHNICAL NECESSARY FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES HOW WE CAN UTILIZE CITY STRUCTURES AS IT RELATES TO COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT. ALICE HAD BROUGHT UP UTILIZING OUR HEALTH PERMITTING SYSTEM IN
A VERY EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WAY. AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT IMPLEMENTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS NOT INSURMOUNTABLE. THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS LEANED IN TO DO DIFFICULT AND
NECESSARY THINGS BEFORE AS WE HAVE DONE WITH THE SINGLE SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG BAN THAT WAS NOT EASY. THAT TOOK YEARS OF RESEARCH ON BEHALF OF COUNCILOR O'MALLEY AND HIS INCREDIBLE STAFF AND
PARTNERSHIP REALLY WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THE MAYOR AT THAT TIME SMALL BUSINESSES WE CAN DO HARD THINGS AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A NOBLE AND VALIANT CAUSE TO AT LEAST LOOK
AT AND OF COURSE WE NEVER WANT TO DISMISS ANY SORT OF FINANCIAL STRAIN ON BUSINESSES BUT REALLY WANT THEM TO BE THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING SO THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND THAT THEIR PERSPECTIVES ARE INCLUDED IN
WHATEVER POLICY IF THAT'S AN ORDINANCE OR WHATEVER IT IS, WHATEVER POLICY EMERGES FROM THIS CONVERSATION AND ALSO THAT 60 MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS NEW YORK AND SEATTLE,
OUR SISTER CITIES HAVE TRANSITIONED AND SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS SO THANK YOU FOR AGAIN YOUR PARTICIPATION.
CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN ANY SORT OF INTERNAL FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS OR IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY SORT OF ASSESSMENT
ON BUILDING CAPACITY TO ENFORCE SUCH A BAN. I BELIEVE THAT THE IF THERE WAS A BAN AS A STRATEGY IT WOULD NOT FALL TO THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S TYPICALLY HANDLED BY OUR OTHER ENFORCEMENT AREAS THAT'S PUBLIC HEALTH OR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OR ESD THOSE OTHER ENTITIES THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED
IN THAT PROCESS. WE HAVEN'T DONE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE THESE CHANGES THAT HASN'T BEEN IN THE WORK PLAN TO DATE AND YOU HAD MENTIONED THERE A
COUPLE OF POINTS. I THINK THERE WERE FIVE OR SIX ABOUT UTILIZING THE HEALTH CODE. CAN YOU JUST REITERATE THAT POINT FOR ME? I JUST I THINK THAT WE ARE
CURRENTLY DOING SORT OF AN INADVERTENT EXPERIMENT IN HELPING A NEW BUSINESS IN THE IN THIS BUILDING UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO HAVE REFILLABLE CUPS RATHER THAN ONLY SINGLE USE CUPS.
AND SO I THINK MAKING IT EASIER FOR BUSINESSES TO EITHER REFILL THEIR OWN PRODUCT AND BUT LET IT LEAVE THE STORE AND COME BACK OR LET PEOPLE BRING IN
THEIR OWN MATERIALS OR CREATE A SORT OF CITYWIDE SYSTEM. ALL OF THOSE THINGS REQUIRE A HEALTH CODE PATHWAY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THANK YOU. JUST GET INTO MY NOTES HERE. DO YOU THINK SO BASED ON THAT LIST IT SAID REQUIRE
RESTAURANTS WITH A FULL RANGE OF MATERIALS TO HAVE WASHABLE IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST GOING THROUGH THAT AGAIN AND YEAH I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PILOT POTENTIALLY SO TOTALLY SO
THE FIRST ONE I THINK IS MAKING SURE THAT NEW FOOD BUSINESSES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT SERVE FOOD HAVE ONSITE DISHWASHING. THIS HAS ACTUALLY COME UP STATEWIDE AS AN ISSUE THAT NEW SCHOOLS ARE BEING BUILT WITHOUT
DISHWASHERS AND SO THERE'S NEVER A POTENTIAL OF IN A NEW SCHOOL WITHOUT A DISHWASHER TO WASH TRAYS FOR EXAMPLE. THERE ARE OTHER CITIES PARTICULARLY IN CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE EITHER REQUIRE THAT OR
PROVIDED GRANT FUNDING TO HAVE DISHWASHING EITHER EXPANDED DISHWASHING STATIONS OR A DISHWASHER LIKE AN ACTUAL PHYSICAL DISHWASHER THAT CAN HELP IF BUSINESSES OF ANY SIZE
ARE TRYING TO CONVERT FROM A WORLD WHERE EVEN IN-HOUSE DINING REQUIRES GIVING PEOPLE DISPOSABLE MATERIALS VERSUS DOING WASHING. SO LIKE I SAID, ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IS JUST TO DO
REUSE WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND AGAIN THAT OFTEN APPLIES IN HOUSE BUT IT COULD APPLY TO A SYSTEM WHERE YOU KNOW YOU GET THERE'S A COMPANY THAT'S LOCATED IN THE BOSTON REGION
THEY ONLY HAVE ONE BUSINESS IN BOSTON THAT'S PART OF IT BUT IT'S CALLED RECYCLABLE AND THEY YOU HAVE A TAKEOUT CONTAINER YOU CAN TAKE FROM THAT BUSINESS AND YOU CAN TAKE IT HOME AND WASH IT AND YOU CAN RETURN IT TO ANY OTHER BUSINESS IN THE NETWORK.
THERE ARE MUCH LARGER PROGRAMS LIKE THAT IN EUROPE GERMAN CITIES THAT HAVE REQUIRED THINGS HAVE MULTIPLE COMPETING BUSINESSES THAT YOU COULD HAVE EXCHANGED IT ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO THAT IDEA OF THIS LIKE REUSABLE TAKEOUT CONTAINER ALSO
TYPICALLY REQUIRES DISHWASHING FACILITIES IN-HOUSE OR A BUSINESS THAT WILL SORT OF PICK IT UP AND DO THE WASHING FOR THEM. THE PATHWAYS FOR HEALTH CODE PERMITTING IS JUST MAKING IT EASIER.
I THINK A BUSINESS TO DONALD'S POINT IS ALREADY GOING THROUGH SO MANY HURDLES TO HAVE THE BUSINESS AND KEEP THE BUSINESS OPEN AND PAY EVERYONE THAT IF IT'S EASIER TO HAVE SOMETHING THROWN AWAY THAN TO HAVE A YOU
KNOW, MANY MORE STEPS IN A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THEM TO DO REFILLING THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE REUSE MODEL. AND THEN SPECIFICALLY FOR THE
IDEA OF JUST HAVING TAKEOUT CONTAINERS THAT ARE GOING HOME WITH PEOPLE AND NEVER COMING BACK. IT'S ABOUT CREATING, YOU KNOW, BULK PURCHASING WHETHER THAT'S
THROUGH A MAIN STREET DISTRICT THROUGH AN END TO DIG AND APEC OR THROUGH THE CITY OF SAYING WE'RE GOING TO BUY X AMOUNT OF THESE ALTERNATIVES TO POLYSTYRENE AND MAYBE WE'RE GIVING THEM OUT AS SAMPLES OR MAYBE WE'RE CREATING A SYSTEM
WHERE THE THE BUY BUYING IN BULK FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THE COST CAN BE REDUCED AND THEN AGAIN SORT OF SIMILAR TO THE CALIFORNIA
CITIES WHERE THEY'RE DOING YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HELPING THEM BUY DISHWASHERS. THEY'RE ALSO HELPING THEM BUY REUSABLE MATERIALS AGAIN CAN BE USED IN HOUSE AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED SORT OF LIKE WHAT THAT INCLUDE LIKE THERE ARE
SOME RESTAURANTS THAT ARE GIVING EVERYONE MAYBE A FREE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE OR THEY'RE SELLING PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO LIKE DISPENSE WATER JUST GIVING A BUSINESS A WATER DISPENSER AND CUPS AND ESPECIALLY REUSABLE
CUPS LIKE THAT CAN ELIMINATE WASTE THAT WAY. SO THINKING CREATIVELY ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD BE IN THE IN THE INSTANCE OF CALIFORNIA WITH THE BULK BUYING, DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON COST SAVINGS AT ALL
FOR FOR THE BUSINESSES OR ANY SORT OF COST THAT THAT THAT HAS BEEN SAVED DURING THEIR TRANSITION? I CAN DRILL DOWN INTO THAT DATA EACH CITY THAT'S DONE IT OUT THERE HAS DONE IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
SO I'M LIKE I SAID ARE GIVING GRANTS AND SOME ARE DOING THE PROCUREMENT THEMSELVES BUT MATCHING NEEDS OF BUSINESSES. THANK YOU. I'M TRANSITIONING TO SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT AND AGAIN YOUR
OFFICE PROVIDES AMAZING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND I KNOW THAT YOUR YOUR STAFF ARE OUT THERE IN THE STREETS TALKING TO FOLKS AND THEY ARE BUSY. THEY HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY.
SO I UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS MAY BE AN ADDED WORK STREAM AND ENSURING THAT YOUR OFFICE IS WELL FUNDED SHOULD THIS GO FORWARD IN YOUR MIND WHAT
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OR ADDITIONAL STAFF CAPACITY WOULD BE NECESSARY BOTH IN THE RAMP UP AND THE RUNWAY UP TO IMPLEMENTATION AND THEN AFTER THE FACT?
SO AND AND OUTREACH YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE LEADING UP TO IT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER LANGUAGE ACCESS AS WELL BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH THOSE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES
THROUGH THAT THROUGH THAT OUTREACH AND REALLY FINDING THAT TO TO HEAR FROM THEM. I THINK ALSO WANTING TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE OUR BUSINESSES DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE
CODE COMPLIANT THAT THEY HAVE NO ISSUES AND SO THAT'S BEING CLEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS NOT JUST IN THE INITIAL BUT THE LONG TERM EFFECTS ARE ON THAT.
I WILL SAY I RECENTLY WENT INTO ONE OF OUR NEWER BUSINESSES AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING IS NOT GOING WITH A MODEL WITH VARIOUS SIZES OF STYROFOAM. WHAT THEY HAD WAS THIS MODEL
OF PORTION CONTROL SO THEY HAD THIS ONE PLATE AND INSTEAD OF GETTING THIS BIG, YOU KNOW, SORT OF MOUND OF RICE IT WAS PROPORTIONED ENOUGH SO THAT YOU GOT EXACTLY YOU WANT AT A PARTICULAR PRICE POINT BECAUSE
I EVEN ASKED THE WOMAN ABOUT IT WHAT ARE YOUR SIZES? AND SHE SHOWED ME THE PLATE AND SORT OF EXPLAINED THE MODEL BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR THEM AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WENT THROUGH AND SORT OF FIT THEIR PRICE POINTS FOR
NOT HAVING YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE VARIOUS SIZES OF THIS STYROFOAM. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN ENGAGING WITH THE BUSINESSES, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AS PART OF THE TRANSITION. WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT FOLKS ARE
GOING TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TO NEED SOME RELATIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT, SOME GRANT FUNDING AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT ARE SUCH AND SOMETIMES THOSE
ARE DETERRENTS FROM FOLKS WANTING TO COME IN AND PARTNER WITH US. SO AGAIN OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT AND THEN WHAT THAT THOSE FINANCIAL SUPPORT MODELS LOOK LIKE GREAT AND WE DON'T HAVE
ANY SORT OF DATA OF HOW MANY BUSINESSES UTILIZE POLYSTYRENE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. NOT REALLY, NO, NO. DO WE CAN WE LOOK TO ANY
BUSINESSES THAT ARE MAYBE ON THE FLIP SIDE THAT ARE USING ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE TRYING TO BE INSANELY SUSTAINABLE AND A MODEL TO TO LOOK TOWARDS I MEAN WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF THEM YOU KNOW, SORT OF THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF OF YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT
ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO AND I THINK THE EXAMPLE OF THE RECYCLABLE BOWLS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO WE DO KNOW EXIST BUT THE YOU KNOW, THE CONCRETE DATA AND NUMBERS WE JUST DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW. OKAY.
AND THIS SUBJECT OF BULK PURCHASING IS IS SOMETHING THAT OHIO DOES ALREADY OR IS NOT SOMETHING SOMETHING THAT WE DO RIGHT NOW. BUT IT DOES MAKE A GREAT DEAL OF SENSE. I MEAN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
YOU WOULD KIND OF TYPICALLY SEE IN A MODEL WHERE YOU KNOW, SAY A BUSINESS HAS YOU KNOW, USE A FOOD CAR BUSINESS FOR AN EXAMPLE. YOU HAVE MULTIPLE CARTS. YOU JUST GOING TO BUY MORE.
IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE INSTEAD OF HAVING THEM OPERATORS IN A DEPENDENT BUSINESS LET ME JUST BUY A THOUSAND, YOU KNOW, TRAYS IF THAT'S WHAT I'M USING AND IT'S GOING TO BE AT A CHEAPER PRICE POINT BUT IT'S SUPPLY
CHAIN ACCESS ALSO WHEN SO IF THERE'S A DEMAND AND YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A PROPER SUPPLY CHAIN YOU'RE GOING TO PAY A HIGH COST. RIGHT. AND SO AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THOSE SYSTEMS ARE LIKE AND
ACTUALLY HAVING YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT MAY HELP AS WELL. YEAH, IT'S A FASCINATING IDEA JUST THIS COLLECTIVE PURCHASING AND AND UTILIZING THAT AS A STRATEGY TO MOVE AWAY FROM SOME
OF THESE SINGLE USE I THINK IS SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING INTO. I WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU ON THAT. ARE THERE ANY SUCCESSES OR CHALLENGES THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM LOOKING BACK AT THE
TRANSITION OFF OF PLASTIC BAGS UNDER SAYING THAT MAYBE YOU BOTH WEREN'T HERE FOR THAT BUT ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD AND ANY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OFFERED DURING THAT TIME THAT WE CAN LOOK TO AS A MODEL I
CAN'T SAY NOW I CAN ACTUALLY KIND OF GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. YEAH, SAME. OKAY. AND JUST A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE CITY IS ENGAGING BUSINESSES ESPECIALLY IN THE
FOOD SERVICE SECTOR BECAUSE MY MY FAVORITE TAKEOUT PLACE I CAN'T SAY IT ON ON THE RECORD BECAUSE I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE FAVORITE PLACES BUT IT'S IN EAST BOSTON.
AMAZING, AMAZING FOOD THEY USE ONLY POLYSTYRENE AND I'D ASK THEM, YOU KNOW OFFHAND WOULD YOU EVEN CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND THEY SAID WELL WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK WITH YOU ON IT.
WE CAN TALK TO ANYBODY WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND THEY SAID THAT IT WASN'T REALLY TOP OF MIND. I THINK THAT'S REFLECTIVE AND WHAT YOU HAD JUST SAID WHERE FOLKS ARE NOT GOING AFTER THESE SORT OF GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
IS THERE ANY ENGAGEMENT ALREADY HAPPENING ON SOMETHING THIS I WOULDN'T SAY IT MAY HAPPEN MAYBE WITH OUR MAIN STREET DISTRICT SOMEONE'S HAVING, YOU KNOW, VERY SIDEBAR TYPE CONVERSATION BUT I DON'T YOU
KNOW IT HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION AND JUST THAT WAY BUT THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED EARLIER THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO BE REALLY CRUCIAL. SO FOLKS WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAPPY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
THIS WOULDN'T TAKE. MY LAST QUESTION FOR ALICE IS DO WE HAVE ANY DATA FROM THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT OR THE ENVIRONMENT CABINET ABOUT
LITTER AND TRASH OF THIS SORT IN VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS AND MATCHING IT UP WITH IF THEY ARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES, THE 60 MUNICIPALITIES WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEM AND THEY'RE
THEIR ADVOCACY AND REALLY BEING PIONEERS IN THE COMMONWEALTH A LOT OF THEM WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS THEY ARE FROM HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC
COMMUNITIES OR TOWNS. SO I'D LOVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIRECT IMPACT IS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND IF IT'S REFLECTIVE OF KIND OF WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW WHICH IS THAT STYROFOAM AND SINGLE USE
PLASTICS THEY MANIFEST IN THE STREETS MORE SO IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES LIKE EAST BOSTON OR ROXBURY ALL DATA ABOUT LITTER AND TRASH DO THEY FIND THAT IT
IS COLLECTED IS COLLECTED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 311 MIGHT ALSO BE A PLACE BUT AS WE KNOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES OFTEN UNDERREPORT ISSUES LIKE LITTER RELATIVE TO
MORE AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES. SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WAYS THAT WE COULD MOST EASILY GET DATA WOULD BE FULLY REFLECTIVE OF THE ISSUES. THANK YOU.
AND I GUESS ANY THIS COULD BE FOR FOR EITHER OF YOU THINKING ABOUT A POTENTIAL ORDINANCE OR A POLICY MOVING FORWARD ARE
THERE ANY FLAGS THAT YOU WOULD SUGGEST? I MEAN I'M THINKING OF A ROAD MAP TO IMPLEMENTATION OR EXEMPTIONS OR HARDSHIP WAIVERS. IS THERE ANYTHING OF THAT SORT
THAT THAT COMES TO MIND ESPECIALLY I THINK WITH THE SMALL BUSINESSES MAYBE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN WITH THE PLASTIC BAG BAN THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO AND HAVE TO LOOK INTO
THAT TO DO TO ALMOST WANT TO PRIORITIZE WHAT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THE AND THE IMPACT ON THE BUSINESS. I THINK MY COMMENT WOULD BE THAT WE SHOULD REALLY THINK
ABOUT WHAT ALTERNATIVES PEOPLE ARE WOULD WOULD GO TO IF NOT POLYSTYRENE. SO I SORT OF ALLUDED TO IT A LITTLE BIT BUT I CUT OUT MY FULL REMARKS ON THIS PREVIOUSLY
THE SECOND STEP OF WHERE PEOPLE OFTEN GO AFTER POLYSTYRENE IS TO BLACK PLASTICS WHICH ARE ALSO NOT RECYCLABLE IN OUR WASTE STREAMS AND HAVE SIMILAR HEALTH CONCERNS IF YOU USE THEM
TO MICROWAVE FOOD IN SO JUST TO SAY NO POLYSTYRENE WITHOUT CAVEATS AROUND THE BLACK PLASTIC MIGHT NOT FULLY MEET THE GOALS THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO
ACHIEVE. THEY CAN BE REUSED OFTEN MORE THAN SAY A POLYSTYRENE CONTAINER BUT NOT EVERYONE IS COLLECTING THEM, REUSING THEM
WITH THE HOARDING THAT I EXHIBIT IN MY HOME CLEAR PLASTIC CONTAINERS ARE ALSO REUSABLE AND CAN OFTEN BE RECYCLED BUT AGAIN NOT AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TIMES MOST
PAPER FOOD CONTAINERS WHETHER THAT'S PAPER CUPS, YOGURT OR THOSE SORT OF PAPER BOXES HAVE A PLASTIC LINING SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT AS RECYCLABLE AS THEY LOOK. BUT AGAIN, GIVEN THAT MOST
OF OUR WASTE IS INCINERATED THEY WOULD BURN MORE EFFECTIVELY. THEY WOULD BE LESS DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE THAT COMPOST ABLE AND PLANT BASED
CONTAINERS REQUIRE INDUSTRIAL COMPOSTING TO BREAK THEM DOWN AND SO THEY SOUND LIKE A GREAT ALTERNATIVE BUT ARE OFTEN NOT THE SOLUTION THEY PURPORT TO BE. I WILL NOTE THAT I THINK IT'S
NEW YORK STATE WAS SUPER CLEAR WHEN THEY BANNED STRAWS AS PART OF A LARGER MAYBE IT WAS VERMONT HAS LIKE A LARGER BAN THAN JUST POLYSTYRENE AND THEY ARE SPECIFIC LIKE LIKE SAYING IT'S COMPOSTABLE MAY NOT MEAN
THAT IT'S THAT MUCH BETTER IF IT STILL CONTAINS PETROCHEMICALS. ALUMINUM PACKAGING AS I NOTED CAN BE WASHED AND REUSED. IT CAN BE INFINITELY RECYCLED IF IT IS PROPERLY MANAGED.
AND THEN I THINK THAT THIS IDEA OF REUSABILITY IS THE THE STAR THAT THE NORTH STAR THAT WE SHOULD USE. ONE THING I TOOK AWAY FROM A TRIP I GOT TO GO ON IN EUROPE
LAST YEAR WAS THAT THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CREATING WHAT I THINK OF AS THE BLUE BIKES OF CUPS SO THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE A TAKEAWAY CUP THAT YOU CAN THEN RETURN AND GET A REFUND ON AND THAT
CUP GETS WASH AND REUSE AND SORT OF CYCLED THROUGH. AND SO THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR US TO NOT HAVE SINGLE USE PRODUCTS IN THE CITY OR A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SINGLE USE PRODUCTS MAKES
POLYSTYRENE SORT OF A MOOT LIKE IS IT THAT OR NOT IF YOU'RE JUST USING THESE OTHER ALTERNATIVES. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ELIMINATING POTENTIALLY ALL OF THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT.
I WOULDN'T SAY ELIMINATING THEM SAYING THERE'S A HIGHER PREFERENCE. YEAH AND THANK YOU FOR FOR BRINGING UP THE BLUE BIKES OF CUPS. I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS A
THERE'S ALWAYS SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY OR INNOVATION THAT'S HAPPENING. I'M SORRY REALLY MY LAST QUESTION I KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION THAT SHE SENDS
ME YEAH. YES BECAUSE I HOPE MY MOM IS WATCHING AND I WANT YOU TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS LIKE OH AND MY MY PARENTS THEY HAVE A DRAWER FULL OF BLACK PLASTICS THAT THEY THEN MICROWAVE THEIR
FOOD IN AND THE HEALTH RISKS ARE TERRIFYING QUITE FRANKLY. SO BUT I THINK MY LAST QUESTION IS DO YOU SEE ANY OTHER INNOVATIONS OR CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN THE SPACE THAT
YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD SHOULD BE LOOKING TOWARDS? I THINK WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE LAST. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL LOUIJEUNE YES. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, SOME IT'S
INTERESTING SOMETIMES WE HAVE PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE HEARINGS THAT ARE JUST ABOUT INFORMATION SHARING JUST SHARING INFORMATION. AND SO I WAS IF YOU COULD WITH
ME NOW TALK ABOUT LIKE THE HARMS OF BLACK PLASTICS AND WHEN YOU SAY THAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE CONTAINERS ARE LIKE THE BLACK PLASTIC BOTTOM AND OFTENTIMES
THE CLEAR TOP THAT THE MAJORITY YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT MOST MOST FOOD CHAIN, MOST RESTAURANTS HAVE MADE THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM
POLYSTYRENE STYROFOAM ALREADY NOT ONE OF MY FAVORITE TAKEOUT PLACES AND NOT MY MOM'S CHURCH RIGHT WHERE LIKE AFTER CHURCH WHERE THEY DO ALL THE FOOD STUFF IT'S ALWAYS IN THOSE
STYROFOAM, RIGHT? MY DAD HAS A BUNCH IN THE BASEMENT LIKE SO BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING AWAY AND THAT WE'VE BEEN SLOWLY SEEING THAT MOVE AWAY NOW BLACK PLASTIC
COULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE BUT THEY'RE NOT A GREAT ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE ARE THERE HEALTH RISKS WITH THE PLASTIC THEMSELVES OR IS IT ONCE THE PLASTIC IS IN THE MICROWAVE OR BEING USED TO
HEAT THINGS UP SO I AM NOT A HEALTH EXPERT SO PLEASE TAKE ALL OF THIS WITH A LARGE GRAIN OF SALT. YOU SHOULD CONSULT REAL HEALTH EXPERTS ON THIS AND I THINK THE SCIENCE IS STILL UNFOLDING.
WE ARE PROBABLY LIKE WHERE CLIMATE CHANGE WAS 30 OR 40 YEARS AGO AND UNDERSTANDING THE RAMIFICATIONS OF PLASTIC A COUPLE OF TAKEAWAYS I WOULD SUGGEST NUMBER ONE PLASTIC WHEN
IT'S COLD IS PROBABLY NOT LEACHING ANYTHING INTO FOOD OR BEVERAGE AND IS NOT NECESSARILY A PROBLEM THEN BUT AS IT'S HEATED UP IT CAN POSE
ADDITIONAL RISKS AND THEY'RE OFTEN CUMULATIVE NOT IN ANY ONE TIME YOU DRANK FROM A PLASTIC BOTTLE. THAT BEING SAID, I THINK ONE
OF THE ISSUES OF BLACK PLASTIC HERE IN OUR REGION IS THAT THE SENSORS THAT DETERMINE WHICH THINGS IN A RECYCLING BIN CAN BE RECYCLED AND SORTED CANNOT DETECT THE BLACK PLASTIC SO IT
AUTOMATICALLY GETS SHIFTED INTO THE WASTE STREAM. IT DOESN'T GET RECYCLED AND BLACK PLASTICS IN GENERAL CAN BE A CONCERN BECAUSE YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHICH PLASTICS HAVE
BEEN IN IT WHEREAS THE STANDARDS FOR CLEAR PLASTIC ARE MUCH LIKE IT'S CLEAR FOR A REASON OR IT'S LIGHT COLORED FOR A REASON AND YOU CAN SORT OF TRACK THE LINEAGE OF THOSE
MATERIALS SO SO I DON'T THINK IT'S LIKE I SAID I HAVE A LOT OF BLACK PLASTIC TAKE OUT CONTAINERS THAT I HAVE REUSED IN MY HOME BECAUSE I'M REFRIGERATING LEFTOVERS IN IT BUT THEN I'M PUTTING THOSE
LEFTOVERS A CERAMIC PLATE IF I'M PUTTING THEM IN THE MICROWAVE CERAMIC AND GLASS ARE THE BEST SORT OF MATERIALS. CERAMIC AND GLASS ARE GREAT. THE STUFF WE'VE BEEN USING FOR CENTURIES WE'VE BEEN ALIVE FOR CENTURIES AND THEY'VE BEEN
AROUND FOR CENTURIES. THEY'RE GREAT MATERIALS. YES. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. I TOO AND MY MOTHER I CAN'T TELL MY MOM A LOT OF MY MOM AND
I DO WE USE THESE BLACK PLASTICS BUT NOT USING THEM FOR MICROWAVES. BUT ALSO I MEAN EVEN PROBABLY SUPERIOR TO THAT IS USING GLASS CONTAINERS TOO WHERE POSSIBLE ALTHOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE
I SAID IF I'M TAKING GETTING A TAKEOUT CONTAINER AND I CAN USE IT EIGHT MORE TIMES THAT REUSABILITY IS REALLY VALUABLE LIKE PLASTICS OFFER THAT AND THEY'RE A LIGHTWEIGHT ALTERNATIVE TO GLASS AND CERAMIC WHEN THAT MEETS PEOPLE'S NEEDS.
RIGHT? SO I THINK I GUESS EVERYTHING IS JUST A HIERARCHY. OKAY THANK YOU AND I HOPE PEOPLE WERE TAKING NOTES BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT. I REMEMBER SOMEONE HAD TO TELL ME ABOUT THE HARMS OF USING
CERTAIN PRODUCTS IN THE MICROWAVE AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU, ALICE. THANK YOU, DOCTOR. OH, YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME. THANK YOU. AND I HAD NEGLECTED TO ASK COUNCILOR COUNCIL QUESTIONS ONE
OF WHICH I THINK HAS ALREADY BEEN ASKED. BUT THE SECOND ONE IS VERMONT HAS ENACTED A LAW REQUIRING THE ENCAPSULATION OF POLYSTYRENE USED IN DOCKS.
THIS PAST WINTER I JOINED OTHER JAMAICA PLAIN RESIDENTS IN CLEANING UP STYROFOAM DEBRIS THAT HAD WASHED ASHORE FROM FROM DOCKS. SHOULD THE CITY CONSIDER REQUIRING ENCAPSULATION TO PREVENT ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTAMINATION? IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT VISION. I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE HARBOR AND HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF IT AS AN ISSUE BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT AN ISSUE AND I THINK SIMILAR TO THE CONVERSATIONS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED, IT WOULD BE WORTH TALKING TO PRIMARILY MARINA OWNERS ABOUT HOW THEY MANAGE
THAT AT THEIR FACILITIES. THANK YOU. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION THAT HE HAS IS STYROFOAM IS NOT ACCEPTED IN BOSTON'S CURBSIDE RECYCLING PROGRAM YET THE MASSACHUSETTS RESTAURANT
ASSOCIATION'S LETTER WHICH WE HAVE HERE AND IS IN THE FOLDER FROM MY COLLEAGUES DESCRIBES POLYSTYRENE AS A RECYCLABLE MATERIAL. WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON TO BEGIN
RECYCLING POLYSTYRENE? ARE THERE ANY EXAMPLES OF CITIES THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED POLYSTYRENE RECYCLING PROGRAMS? IT SEEMS LIKE THE POLYSTYRENE IS NOT HAS NOT BEEN A CURBSIDE
RECYCLABLE OBJECT IN MOST COMMUNITIES FOR MOST OF ITS HISTORY. WE HAVE A MANY OTHER CHALLENGES TO IMPROVING THE WAY THAT OUR RECYCLING WORKS AND SO TO
RETROFIT OUR MOST OUR LOCAL PROVIDERS OF RECYCLING SERVICES TO ACCOMMODATE THAT IS IS A PROBABLY A TECHNICAL SOLUTION
THAT IS NOT THE BEST PATH FOR MANY. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY LAST QUESTION I THINK TO BOTH OF YOU IS WHAT ROLE DO YOU REALLY DO SEE THE CITY COUNCIL PLAYING BESIDES THE
LEGISLATIVE COMPONENT AND POTENTIALLY DRAFTING AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU ALL AN ORDINANCE BUT WHAT ROLE CAN CAN WE PLAY THAT WOULD BE OF BENEFIT TO YOU IN YOUR DEPARTMENTS ON OUTREACH, ON
RESEARCH, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES? I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, SHARED OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT YOUR CONSTITUENCY NEEDS TO HEAR
FROM YOU AS WELL AND WE WE DO THAT INTERNALLY. SO OUR TEAMS AS YOU KNOW ARE OUT ON THE STREET. WE WORK WITH OUR MAIN STREET PARTNERS AS SUCH BUT WE HAVE A PLATFORM BY WHICH WE CAN
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND EDUCATE FOLKS ON THIS INITIATIVE. YEAH, I THINK THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IT TO THE HEARING IS IS SUPER USEFUL BEING OUT HAVING CONVERSATION WITH YOUR
FAVORITE BUSINESSES IS USEFUL AND I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT YOUR STAFF IS INTERESTED IN DOING SOME OF THE RESEARCH YOU SUGGESTED YOU KNOW REVERE IS A LOCAL COMMUNITY THAT HAS DONE IT THAT I THINK IS PROBABLY
MORE DEMOGRAPHICALLY SIMILAR TO EAST BOSTON THAN BROOKLINE PERHAPS OR SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES. SO YOU MIGHT DO SOME CALLS ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE WORKING OVER IN PLACES LIKE THAT.
EXCELLENT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND YOUR TIME AND JUST GENERALLY YOUR WORK. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WE WILL TRANSITION TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR
PUBLIC TESTIMONY. WE HAVE IT WAS FIRST ELLIE ELLIE, ELLIE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME DOWN AND PROVIDE YOUR
REMARKS AND I DO JUST AGAIN WANT TO CALL IT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED COMMUNICATION FROM FROM VARIOUS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATIONS. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE SIERRA CLUB FOR THEIR INTEREST
. THEY DID SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE ORDINANCE CREATION SHOULD THAT HAPPEN. ELLIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE. YEAH, THIS IS PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO WE CAN TYPICALLY WE TAKE PUBLIC TESTIMONY FROM THE THE
SIDE MIKES ALTHOUGH THE GIRL SCOUTS HAVE BEEN INTEGRAL INTO ALL OF THIS AND SO WELCOME YOU DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE IF YOU WANT TO START.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR AFFILIATION, YOUR GIRL SCOUT TROOP AND THEN YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ELEANOR PELLETIER
AND I'M OLIVER AND WERE A PART OF GIRL SCOUT TROOP 6277 AND WE WERE TWO OF THE GIRL SCOUTS WHO CAMPAIGNED WITH COUNSELOR MATT O'MALLEY AND AT THE TIME
COUNSELOR MICHELLE WU TO PASS THE PLASTIC BAG BAN. AND SINCE THAT BAN OUR TROOP HAS CONTINUED THE WORK TO REDUCE WASTE IN BOSTON WITH BI ANNUAL RECYCLING DRIVES.
SO IN THESE DRIVES WE COLLECT SPECIALTY ITEMS THAT THE CITY DOES NOT RECYCLE WITH CURBSIDE RECYCLING BUT THAT CAN BE RECYCLED THROUGH SPECIAL COMPANIES.
SO WE HAVE HOSTED NINE DRIVES AND DIVERTED OVER £8,000 OF WASTE BUT BY FAR OUR MOST COLLECTED ITEM IS STYROFOAM OF WHICH WE HAVE COLLECTED NEARLY £800.
AND I DO WANT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT WE GET A LOT OF FOOD PACKAGING STYROFOAM BUT OFTEN HAVE TO THROW IT AWAY OR RETURN IT TO THE PEOPLE BECAUSE IF IT'S DIRTY IT CAN'T BE RECYCLED
IN THIS WAY WHICH IS PART OF WHY THE BAN IS NECESSARY AND WE ONLY HAVE LIKE 60 HOUSEHOLDS COMING TO THESE DRIVES BUT WE ARE COLLECTING A TON OF STYROFOAM WHICH IS ALSO WHY
WE WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE A FOOD BASED POLYSTYRENE BAN AND MANY RESTAURANTS AND FOOD DESTINATIONS AROUND BOSTON HAVE ALREADY MOVED AWAY FROM STYROFOAM BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EQUITABLE SHIFT IN
NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HIGHER INCOMES LIKE THE SOUTH END YOU RARELY SEE A STYROFOAM TAKEOUT CONTAINER BUT IN LOWER INCOME AREAS LIKE DORCHESTER, ROXBURY THEY'RE STILL VERY COMMON AND WE HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS
DIFFERENCE CREATES A HEAVIER BURDEN ON RESIDENTS IN THE LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS. SO IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH PURSUING IT EVEN IF IT IS A PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR
FOR PEOPLE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS TO TAKE THAT BURDEN. AND SO THIS IS WHY A TIMELY BAN IS A NECESSITY AS THIS LEGISLATION CAN ENSURE THAT EVERY CITIZEN OF BOSTON DOES IN
RECEIPT RECEIVE THEIR FOOD IN THIS TOXIC PACKAGING. THIS BAN WOULD BE A HUGE STEP IN BOSTON'S GOAL OF BECOMING A CLEANER CITY. WE CAN LEARN FROM THE
SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES OF 250 CITIES 70 COUNTRIES IN 11 STATES THAT HAVE ALREADY BANNED STYROFOAM ELIMINATING STYROFOAM IN BOSTON IS A HARD TASK. HOWEVER MANY OF THESE PLACES HAVE FOUND SUBSTITUTION SUCH AS
COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS, PAPER, ALUMINUM WHICH BENEFITS A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ALL STYROFOAM IS FROM FOOD PACKAGING BECAUSE OF ONLINE ORDERS AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
THIS POSSIBLE LEGISLATION WOULD NOT ELIMINATE ALL STYROFOAM FROM BOSTON. SO WE ALSO ASKED OF THE CITY OF BOSTON BEGIN TO INCORPORATE STYROFOAM INTO ZERO WASTE DAYS. OUR TROOP HAS KEPT £800
OF STYROFOAM FROM LANDFILLS AND WATERWAYS SINCE 2020 BUT MANY OF THE GIRLS ARE GOING TO COLLEGE AND THE DRIVES WILL BECOME DIFFICULT FOR US TO CONTINUE AS A TROOP. THE DRIVES HAVE ALSO OUTGROWN
OUR TRIP WITH MORE AND MORE PEOPLE COMING AND COLLECTING THEIR WASTE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. THE CITY TAKING OVER WOULD ALLOW MORE CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE AND THUS MORE STYROFOAM TO BE RECYCLED AND WE
ARE HAPPY TO ASSIST IN THIS TAKE OVER AS WE HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMPANIES OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SORTING STYROFOAM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. THANK YOU, RICHARD. IT SHOUT OUT TO GIRL SCOUT TROOP 68277 EXCELLENT. OKAY, NEXT I WILL BRING UP
CHRISTIAN DIMARCO. I APOLOGIZE IF I SAID YOUR NAME WRONG AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY HERE. DO WE HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL FROM NORTHEASTERN ON ZOOM?
OKAY. THANK YOU FOR NOW WE'LL GO TO CHRISTIAN. TAKE YOUR TIME AND IF ANYBODY
ELSE WANTS TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY YOU STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. HI. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
BEFORE HI, I'M KRISTEN DIMARCO. BEFORE I GET INTO MY SHORT LITTLE PRESENTATION I THINK THAT WAS THAT MR O'MALLEY WHO WAS SITTING OVER THERE FROM
CHINATOWN, COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR FLYNN YEAH, HE WAS VERY CONCERNED AND RIGHTFULLY SO ABOUT THE COST OF CHANGING
FROM THE CHEAP COST AND AVAILABILITY OF POLISH SHINE OR STIRRING AND I WANTED TO JUST
GIVE A QUICK COST VERSUS HEALTH ANALYSIS THAT I'VE DONE ON MY OWN. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS
TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PRESENTATION POLYSTYRENE IS COMPOSED OF STYRENE IN BENZENE
WHICH IS A CHEMICAL THAT IS ADDED TO THE SUBSTANCE AND BENZENE IS A KNOWN CARCINOGEN
AND POLYSTYRENE IS IN ONE OF THE FORMS. IT'S OUR TAKE OUT CONTAINERS, IT'S OUR PLASTIC SPOONS, IT'S OUR PLASTIC FORKS THAT WE WE
GET IT'S OUR RED SOLO CUPS THAT WE ENJOY IN THE SUMMERTIME UM, OR AT SOMEONE'S PARTY IT'S THE MCDONALD'S SAUCE CONTAINERS THAT WE GET WHEN WE GO.
IT'S IT'S ON THE BOTTOM LAYER OF OUR CHICKEN OUR STEAKS AND OUR PORK CHOPS.
THERE ARE SO MANY INTERACTIONS THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS MATERIAL AND THE CHEMICALS THERE ARE SO
MANY CHEMICALS IN POLYSTYRENE THAT THERE ACTUALLY IS NOT A
PARTICULAR RECIPE THAT ONE COMPANY SHARES WITH ANOTHER AND
THERE'S SUCH A CONSUMPTION THAT WE ALL HAVE IN OUR BODIES. I THINK IT'S TIME THAT BOSTON
TAKES ACTION AND IT IS NOW THERE ARE PLENTY OF ALTERNATIVE WAYS YOU CAN GO ON GOOGLE AND YOU CAN TYPE IN THE SEARCH
ENGINE NON PLASTIC ALTERNATIVES TO POLYSTYRENE FOAM CONTAINERS AND THERE IS A BOATLOAD AND COMPANIES I MEAN LITTLE
RESTAURANTS CAN CHOOSE FROM THERE. AND WHEN I WAS DOING MY RESEARCH SOME TOWNS WERE ABLE
TO FIND I THINK SOMEBODY MENTIONED THERE WAS SOME IN THE BEGINNING SOME FUNDING, SOME TO HELP THE SMALLER RESTAURANTS
WITH THE INITIAL SWITCH AND SOMEBODY ASKED WELL WHY ISN'T POLYSTYRENE RECYCLED?
IT'S LIGHTWEIGHT AND BULKY. IT JUST FLIES ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO TRANSPORT. IT'S MANY TIMES CONTAMINATED
WITH THE FOOD THAT TOUCHED IT. AND THERE'S ALSO VERY LIMITED MARKET DEMAND FOR RECYCLED STYRENE.
I JUST WANTED I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT. OKAY, HERE'S MY ACTUAL
PRESENTATION I SAY I AM JUST SO INCREDIBLY HUMBLED THAT CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT RUTH Z AND
CHIEF AND HER CHIEF OF POLICY JESSE TOOK ON THIS PROJECT. I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND
THERE WAS ABOUT A YEAR A LULL AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT WAS BEING TAKEN UP AND WHEN I GOT THE EMAIL LAST WEEK I LITERALLY FELL ON THE FLOOR
AND THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PROJECT ENVIRONMENTALLY SPEAKING AND FOR THE HEALTH OF BOSTON'S CITIZENS THIS IS SO EXCITING.
THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING TIME FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON UNDER MAYOR WU'S LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF HER ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
AND INITIATIVES THAT SHE HAS ALREADY STARTED SO EXCITING HOW I GOT INTO THIS JUST REALLY QUICKLY I'M A DOG WALKER AND THE AMOUNT OF LITTER IN HYDE
PARK AND PRETTY MUCH ALL OVER I GO INTO DEDHAM, I GO INTO MATTAPAN POLYSTYRENE THE THE
COPS AND THE STUFF STYROFOAM SERVING PLATTERS IS RIDICULOUS . I'M GOING TO HOLD UP A PICTURE RIGHT NOW AND SHOW YOU WHAT I
COLLECTED ON ONE WALK ON JUST A SPOT A HALF A MILE SECTION OF TRUMAN HIGHWAY AND IT LOOKS
LIKE THIS THE WONDERFUL OR SHOULD I SAY THE NOT SO WONDERFUL THING ABOUT POLYSTYRENE IN STYROFOAM IS
THAT IT ACTUALLY NEVER BREAKS DOWN DOWN TO THE MOLECULE LEVEL. SO ONCE IT'S IN THE ENVIRONMENT IT'S THERE FOREVER.
IT GOES FROM THERE, IT GOES FROM THE SIDEWALK INTO THE DIRT, INTO THE WATERWAYS AND INTO THE ANIMALS AND THEN INTO
THE OCEAN KILLING BIRDS BY THE THOUSANDS A YEAR, KILLING THE TURTLES.
CHRISTINE, WE'RE GOING TO GO FOR ANOTHER TWO MORE MINUTES, OKAY? OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I COULD TALK FOREVER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO FOR THIS I FOR THIS I LOOKED UP THE EFFECTS OF THE MICROPLASTICS THAT POLYSTYRENE CREATE CREATES MICROPLASTICS
ARE UM WELL, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW I LOOKED UP TO I LOOKED UP TWO ARTICLES. ONE WAS A MEDICAL STUDY BY A DOCTOR AND SHE DID AN
EXPERIMENT ON MICE AND WHAT SHE CONCLUDED IS, UM, THROUGH
PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO POLISHED SIRENE MICRO PLASTICS IN VITRO IT CAN LEAD TO ALTERED TESTOSTERONE, TESTICULAR MORPHOLOGY, LOWERED BLOOD
LEVELS OF TESTOSTERONE AND REDUCED VIABILITY. I READ AN ARTICLE FROM FEBRUARY
20TH, 2025 IN THE STUDY OF NATURE JOURNAL POLYSTYRENE
MICROPLASTICS THERE WAS IN MICE THERE WAS A CORRELATE SHOWING FROM THE EXPOSURE
OF MICROPLASTIC X POLY DEVELOPMENT OF LIVER INFLAMMATION LIVER LIPID BUILDUP PUTTING THE LIVER AT
RISK FOR CIRRHOSIS AND FATTY LIVER DISEASE. IT WAS ALSO THIS RESEARCH WAS ALSO BACKED UP AT WUHAN UNIVERSITY IN CHINA.
IT ALSO AFFECTS GASTRO OUR GASTRO INTO OUR INTESTINAL TRACT AND IT AFFECTS OUR MICROBIOME IN OUR INTESTINES
CAUSING ABDOMINAL PLATE PAIN AND BLOATING AND I INCLUDED THIS IS THE LAST BIT OF MY LITTLE THING BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT IS OUT THERE FOR
POLYSTYRENE ALTERNATIVES. I REMEMBER TALKING TO COUNCILOR RUTH XIE ABOUT
CATERING AND THEY HAVE THIS IT'S ALUMINUM FOIL AND IT'S CONTAINED WITHIN A CARDBOARD
BOX AND THEN JUST BASIC CARDBOARD AND LIKE CHINESE FOOD TAKEOUT CONTAINERS THINK
OF SWEET GREENS IT'S SUPER DUTY. IT HOLDS OIL AND THEN JUST SOME MORE SOME COMPANIES THAT SELL
YEAH, THAT'S IT. THAT'S MY REPUTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. KRISTIN. I CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND I DO APPRECIATE THE ALTERNATIVES WITH THE
BIODEGRADABLE FIBER BARS AND CLAMSHELL CARRY OUT CONTAINERS, THESE ARE THINGS THAT I'VE ALREADY SEEN RESTAURANTS UTILIZE INCLUDING THE CUTLERY. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT
AND HIGHLIGHTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH RISKS THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO TO MITIGATE AND TO TO TO STOP. SO I APPRECIATE YOU. I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP FOR
PUBLIC TESTIMONY. SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR PARTICIPATION. THANK YOU TO MY STAFF, THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR COUNSELOR ROSIE LOUIJEUNE STAFF AS WELL COUNCILOR WEBBERS STAFF THE
GIRL SCOUT TROOP OF COURSE I'LL PASS IT TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE FOR ANY CLOSING REMARKS THAT SHE MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR STARTING US ON THIS CONVERSATION. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE FOR BASICALLY I
THINK HOPEFULLY THIS WAS A GOOD LIKE CITY COUNCIL ONE ON ONE ON HOW THINGS HAPPEN LIKE WE BRING UP A TOPIC WE HAVE PEOPLE IN DISCUSS THE TOPIC, WEIGH THE PROS AND CONS AND THINK ABOUT
HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD. I APPRECIATE THE TESTIMONY FROM KRISTEN AND FROM THE GIRL SCOUT TROOP FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO VERY HANDS ON AND THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FROM HAVING A
CONCERN OR BEING, YOU KNOW, WALKING OUR DOGS OR YOU KNOW, HEATING UP THAT FOOD AND THE STYROFOAM AND THE MICROWAVES AND SHOULD I BE DOING THIS TO THINKING ABOUT HOW WE GET
PEOPLE TO CHANGE HABITS AND CHANGE CULTURE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND FOR OUR HEALTH? SO ONE OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO DONALD AND ALICE FOR BEING HERE I WANT TO THINK OUR COUNSELOR
IS A PARTNER FOR LEADING US IN THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER IN THIS WORK AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHOW GRATITUDE FOR YOU TO GO TOWARDS TOWARDS THE
ADMINISTRATION IN MY MIND BOSTON IS OVERDUE. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IN OUR ZERO WASTE GOALS ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM LIKE
THE CLIMATE CRISIS OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS IS OVERWHELMING, IT REALLY IS THESE SMALL STEPS THAT WE CAN DO TO LIMIT USE OF THESE
MATERIALS AND I THINK THAT THESE SMALL ACTIONS DO ADD UP. AND SO I'M I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTICIPATION OF OF EVERYONE AND ALREADY TRYING TO
LOOK THROUGH WHAT ALTERNATIVES LOOK LIKE, WHAT IMPLEMENTATION MAY LOOK LIKE IN MY OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO TRYING TO DEVELOP A POLICY OR POTENTIAL ORDINANCE THAT REALLY TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION AGAIN ALL OF THE
PERSPECTIVES IN THIS CONVERSATION AND IT WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL TO BE ABLE TO GET IT RIGHT. AND SO AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE YOUNG LEADERS WHO HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO MY OFFICE.
I THINK THAT THIS IS A BUILDING BLOCK TOWARDS THE FUTURE AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE CONVERSATIONS AND DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP WITH MANY FOLKS IN THIS ROOM. WHAT AN ORDINANCE FOR A
POLYSTYRENE POLYSTYRENE BAN MAY LOOK LIKE IN THE CITY BOSTON SO THANK YOU EVERYONE. THIS DOCKET OR THIS HEARING ON
THIS DOCKET IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU