15rt1 South rMiami
CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM THE CITY OF PLEASANT LIVING
To:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
BACKGROUND:
The Honorable Mayor & Members of the City Commission
February 16, 2016 Agenda Item No.: 15' Steven Alexander, City Manager
A Resolution encouraging the residents, business, vendors of and
visitors to the City of South Miami 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.
The City of South Miami declares that it is in the best interest of the
public health, safety, and welfare of its residents and visitors to
reduce litter and pollutants within the City. 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. 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. Due to the physical
properties of expanded polystyrene, the EPA states "that such
materials can have serious impacts on human health, wildlife, the
aquatic environment and the economy."
The City of South Miami has recommended to its residents,
businesses, vendors and visitors the replacement of the use and
purchase of expanded polystyrene products with reusable,
recyclable, or compostable alternatives that are safer for human
health and the environment. Polystyrene materials constitute a
portion of the litter in the City's streets, parks, public places, and
waterways. The City's goal is to replace expanded polystyrene
food service articles with reusable, recyclable or compostable
alternatives. This Resolution will preserve and enhance the
environment of the City. The City Commission finds that this
Resolution is necessary for the preservation of the public health,
safety and welfare of the City's residents.
1 RESOLUTION NO., __ _
2
3 A Resolution encouraging the residents, business, vendors of and visitors to
4 the City of South Miami to cease using and purchasing products made from
5 expanded polystyrene, and replacing expanded polystyrene products with
6 reusable, recyclable, and compostable alternatives that are safer for human
7 health and the environment. ' •
8
9 WHEREAS, the City of South Miami declares that it is in the best interest of the public
10 health, safety, and welfare of its residents and visitors to reduce litter and pollutants within the City; and
11
12 WHEREAS, expanded polystyrene, a petroleum by-product commonly known as
13 Styrofoam, is neither readily recyclable nor biodegradable and takes hundreds to thousands of
14 years to degrade in the environment; and
15
16 WHEREAS, expanded polystyrene is a common pollutant, which fragments into smaller,
17 non-biodegradable pieces that are ingested by marine life and other wildlife, thus harming and
18 killing them; and
19
20 WHEREAS, due to the physical properties of expanded polystyrene, the EPA states "that
21 such materials can have serious impacts on human health, wildlife, the aquatic environment and
22 the economy;" and
23
24 WHEREAS, polystyrene materials constitute a portion of the litter in the City's streets,
25 parks, public places, and waterways; and
26
27 WHEREAS, the City's goal is to replace expanded polystyrene food service articles with
28 reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives; and
29
30 WHEREAS, this Resolution will preserve and enhance the environment of the City; and
31
32 WHEREAS, the City Commission finds that this Resolution is necessary for the
33 preservation of the public health, safety and welfare of the City's residents.
34
35 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
36 COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA THAT:
37
38 Section 1: The City of South Miami hereby encourages its residents, businesses, vendors
39 and visitors to cease using and purchasing products made from expanded polystyrene.
40
41 Section 2: This resolution shall be effective immediately after the adoption hereof.
42
43
44
45
46
47
48 PASSED AND ADOPTED this __ day of ,2016.
49
50 ATTEST: APPROVED:
51
52
53 CITY CLERK MAYOR
54
55 READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM, COMMISSION VOTE:
56 LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND Mayor Stoddard:
57 EXECUTION THEREOF: Vice Mayor Harris:
58 Commissioner Edmond:
59 Commissioner Liebman:
60 Commissioner Welsh:
61
62 CITY ATTORNEY
2