Title
To Commit the City of Columbus to the Reduction of Plastic in Central Ohio and to Encourage Community Members, Organizations, and Businesses to Commit to Plastic Reduction.
Body
WHEREAS, Americans represent less than 5% of the world’s population but generates 12% of the world’s solid waste; and
WHEREAS, Americans discard about 35.7 million tons of plastic each year, but only 5% of it is recycled; and
WHEREAS, plastic may take as many as thousands of years to fully break down and can leak pollutants into our water and soil; and
WHEREAS, plastic in the ocean causes serious harm and death to many species of marine wildlife and the ecosystems that support them. This plastic in the ocean and land breaks down into smaller pieces, including microplastics, which concentrate toxins that bio-accumulate in our food; and
WHEREAS, plastic pollution disproportionately impacts people living in poverty and communities of color in the U.S. and in the Global South; and
WHEREAS, plastic pollution costs Central Ohio municipalities, businesses, and commercial districts millions of dollars in cleanup costs related to litter abatement and removal from the storm drain system; and
WHEREAS, food and beverage packaging represents a significant amount of the litter in the City of Columbus, and the amount of disposable plastic waste has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic; and at least 40% of which could be prevented by a transition to reusable packaging; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council encourages residents to reduce their use of single-use plastic packaging and single-use disposable plastics, reuse plastics where possible, and recycle what cannot be reused; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is a leader in the Midwest and across the country through our Columbus Climate Action Plan which commits our community to carbon neutrality by 2050, a 45% reduction by 2030, and includes significant waste reduction, reuse, and recycling solutions; and
WHEREAS, according to a 2019 Waste Characterization Report form the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, there is an estimated 48,016 tons of plastic that go to the landfill every year from the city’s residential waste stream; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Climate Action Plan has a goal of reducing 95% of recyclable waste going to the landfill by 2050; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is launching two new Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers and educating residents to better reduce, reuse, and recycle; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council thanks the Central Ohio Reuse Coalition (CORC) for their advocacy of plastic-free policies and actions and our growing partnership; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby declare its commitment to reducing plastic and waste in Columbus as part of the city’s Climate Action Plan and encourages our businesses, organizations, and community members to reduce their use of single-use disposable plastics.