Title
A Resolution encouraging City of Coral Gables’ residents, businesses, vendors, and visitors to cease using and purchasing products made from expanded polystyrene, and replacing expanded polystyrene products with reusable, recyclable, and compostable alternatives that are safer for human health and the environment.
(Sponsored by Commissioner Lago)
Body
Expanded polystyrene, a petroleum by-product commonly known as Styrofoam, is neither readily recyclable nor biodegradable and takes hundreds to thousands of years to degrade in the environment. Products made from expanded polystyrene have little value and are not accepted in single stream recycling facilities.
Expanded polystyrene is a common pollutant, which fragments into smaller, non-biodegradable pieces that are ingested by marine life and other wildlife, thus harming and killing them. Polystyrene materials constitute a portion of the litter in the City's streets, parks, public places, and waterways due to the physical properties of expanded polystyrene.
The Environmental Protection Agency states "that such materials can have serious impacts on human health, wildlife, the aquatic environment and the economy”.
Numerous local municipalities including Miami-Beach, Bal Harbour, Surfside, and Key Biscayne have passed ordinances prohibiting the use of expanded polystyrene products in parks, public facilities, special events, and on sidewalk cafes. In these municipalities, polystyrene food service articles have been replaced with reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives.
This Resolution will help preserve and enhance the environment of the City and is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety and welfare of the City's residents.