HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 2/25/2020 - Memorandum From Molly Saylor And Richard Thorp Re: February 11, 2020 Work Session Summary: Mitigating Plastics PollutionEnvironmental Services
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6600
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MEMORANDUM
Date: February 14, 2020
To: Mayor Troxell and City Councilmembers
Thru: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Jacqueline Kozak Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Kevin Gertig, Utilities Executive Director
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Services Director
Carol Webb, Utilities Deputy Director
From: Molly Saylor, Environmental Sustainability Senior Specialist and Data Analyst
Richard Thorp, Lead Specialist, Science
CC: Jill Oropeza, Director of Sciences, Water Quality Services
Re: February 11, 2020 Work Session Summary: Mitigating Plastics Pollution
Summary:
• Attendees: Jeff Mihelich, Molly Saylor, and Richard Thorp presented on mitigating microplastic
and macroplastic pollution. All Councilmembers were present.
• Questions to Council:
o Do Councilmembers support a comprehensive policy and engagement approach to
reducing plastic pollution? If so, do Councilmembers have a preference on an initial focus
area? (such as plastic bags, straws, take-out containers)
o Do Councilmembers have input on staff’s approach to addressing microplastics?
• Key discussion points:
o Councilmembers supported a comprehensive approach to policy and engagement
Address bags first, consider polystyrene food containers as a possible second
item, consult community about the priority of other items
o Be thoughtful and robust in stakeholder/community engagement and apply equity lens
o Apply learnings from 2014 bag policy discussions
o Consider both waste-to-energy and source reduction
o Collect data to better understand what is already happening in the community
o Learn from other communities’ experiences
o Explore new incentives and innovative approaches
o Focus on outcomes and various pathways to what we want to achieve
o Microplastics study to include a focus on health impacts to people and wildlife
Next steps:
• Gather community/stakeholder input on plastic bags and priority of other items, launch plastics
awareness campaign, collect data (Q1-2)
• Update Council on single-use plastics at June 9th worksession (Q2):
o Clarify existing recycling options for single-use packaging
o Present data (e.g. what residents and businesses are already doing; success rates from
other communities; litter data from Litterati app)
o Report on community/stakeholder input on bags and other items; awareness campaign
o Pending community input: Propose initial policy options for plastic bags; sample timelines
and frameworks for a comprehensive single-use plastics strategy
• Complete microplastics study (Q3)
DocuSign Envelope ID: 684FC2EB-9685-40B1-88C7-B3CC21833A1C