Redondo considers ban on single-use plastics
Redondo Beach may follow the lead of neighboring Manhattan Beach in establishing a ban on single-use restaurant foam and plastic.
In a split vote, the Redondo Beach City Council directed staff to use Manhattan Beach’s ban, approved in April, as a foundation for a local ordinance.
The ban was brought forward as part of the city’s strategic plan, intending to reduce litter and pollution, particularly among the city’s harbor and coastal areas.
Plastic and polystyrene products have been found to break down into small particles and do not biodegrade. In coastal areas, marine wildlife will commonly ingest these particles.
Should Redondo eventually pass a ban, it would put the city in league with more than 100 other California municipalities that have passed similar laws.
“We’re really trying to coordinate between the Beach Cities,” said Craig Cadwallader, Surfrider South Bay’s policy director. “They have it in the works in Hermosa Beach, and I’d love to see Redondo join in similar language so that all of the Beach Cities have basically the same ordinance.”
“You talk to kids, and they immediately get it. Things we use for a moment are going to outlive us all,” said Dana Murray, a Redondo resident, and Manhattan Beach environmental programs manager, who clarified she spoke on only her own behalf. “If we don’t care about our environment and ocean, there are economic costs as well.”
Councilwoman Laura Emdee was first concerned about the ban’s impact on Redondo’s many fast food restaurants, though Murray noted anecdotally that she hadn’t heard of much pushback in Manhattan Beach.
Emdee then looked at the issue of grocery store polystyrene, commonly used in packaging raw meats. Murray pointed out that Manhattan Beach made an exception for meat trays, to study the issue with grocers.
Councilman Nils Nehrenheim believed the ban to be a barrier for entry to new businesses and instead preferred to concentrate efforts on the Clean Bay Certified Restaurant program. The responsibility, he said, should be on the restaurants and the residents.
But those arguments didn’t sway the rest of the council, who felt businesses would adjust accordingly to meet any cost increases they would face.
“I would gladly pay an extra five cents for a clean ocean near me,” Councilman Todd Loewenstein said.