Join Surfrider and help protect the ocean, waves and beaches for all people

Rise Above Plastics

TAKE ACTION

SUPPORT AN OCEANSIDE PLASTICS ORDINANCE

On Wednesday, May 3, the Oceanside City Council will consider directing city staff to draft a plastic pollution reduction ordinance to protect our ocean and beaches. The discussion will center around phasing out polystyrene foam (aka styrofoam), as well as expanding the state bag ban to include retail and restaurants. As similar efforts have been unsuccessful in Oceanside - most recently in 2021 - your voice is needed more than ever to ensure this item moves forward. Please read on for instructions on how to submit a comment. For some background on this effort, check out our recent blog post. 

SUBMIT A WRITTEN COMMENT

(You can also email cityclerk@oceansideca.gov )

Meeting Date: 5/3/23

Agenda #: 25

Subject: In support of plastics ordinance (or something similar)

Position: In Favor

Comments: you can be as brief or as detailed as you want, just make sure you ask that they approve this item and direct staff to draft an ordinance with as quick a turnaround as possible!

(Additional suggested talking points below)

Suggested Talking Points

Here are some additional talking points to consider for your comment form. Any personal experiences with seeing foam pollution would also be great as well.

• Polystyrene foam is the #2 most commonly found item at Surfrider beach cleanups in San Diego County. Surfrider volunteers removed 53,327 pieces of foam debris in 2018 and 2019, a number that accounts for only a tiny fraction of the total amount of foam debris that ends up on our beaches and in our ocean each year.
• in 2019, polystyrene foam accounted for 14.4% of the total items found at over 100 local Surfrider beach cleanups 
• Because it is so lightweight and brittle, foam foodware easily breaks down into hundreds, even thousands of smaller pieces. It is almost impossible to identify, separate, and remove polystyrene foam debris from beach sand once this happens.
• Like all plastics, polystyrene foam is made from oil and toxic chemicals and does not biodegrade in the natural environment. Each piece of foam debris in our environment is akin to a mini oil spill.  
• Foam is effectively non-recyclable due to frequent contamination, breakdown, and negative value to recyclers. Foam foodware is not accepted in Oceanside's curbside recycling.
• Both the City's 2010 Zero Waste Plan and 2020 Zero Waste Plan Update recommend that "the City adopt policies to mitigate the impact of single-use plastic and polystyrene as litter in order to protect the marine environment."
• Polystyrene contains styrene, a known animal carcinogen that was found “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” in a congressionally mandated, science-based, public health document prepared by the National Toxicology Program. The International Agency for Research on Cancer also supported this claim, stating that polystyrene is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” 
• Neighboring Vista, San Marcos, and Carlsbad have all addressed polystyrene foam via an ordinance. So have Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, San Diego, and Imperial Beach. Let's join our neighbors and take action to protect our ocean, beaches and communities. 

(You can also email cityclerk@oceansideca.gov )

ATTEND THE COUNCIL MEETING

We encourage members of the public to attend the City Council meeting and make an in-person comment, especially Oceanside residents. The City Council agenda can be found HERE, the meeting starts at 5pm and this will be the last item (agenda #25). Members of the public receive 3 minutes to speak, occasionally  2 minutes if there are many speakers. If you would like to speak, you must sign up at one of two iPad stations near the entrance to the council chambers (more info HERE). Please reply to this email if you have any questions!