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Roseville Public Works, Environment and Transportation Commission Agenda Item Date: March 22, 2022 Item Description: Take Out Food Containers — State of the Region Item No: 7 Background: Roseville is home to 108 restaurants as of 2021, and since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many more customers are opting to get their food to go to avoid dining indoors. Food waste and packaging make up about 45% of all materials in U.S. landfills, and some studies suggest that restaurants account for nearly 80% of disposable packaging waste in the United States. According to Regional Indicators data, an estimated 54% of Roseville's waste was incinerated or landfilled in 2020, or 20,652 tons. (Note that waste data is collected at the county scale and pro -rated by city population.) City Examples St. Louis Park — Zero Waste Ordinance • Implemented in 2017. • Requires that packaging for food prepared and served on -site or packaged to -go must be reusable, recyclable, or compostable. • Phased out temporary exemptions over time to allow for development of certified compostable alternatives. • Complaint -based enforcement by Public Works Division: • Written warning with 14 days to take corrective action. • Can be fined either as a misdemeanor (up to $1,000) or an administrative penalty (up to $2,000). • The city placed atemporary moratorium on enforcement early on in the COVID-19 pandemic. • Restaurants currently face supply chain issues in obtaining packaging that complies with the ordinance. Minneapolis — Green to Go Ordinance • Effective 2015. • All food and beverages prepared for immediate consumption or taken to -go must be placed in reusable, recyclable, or compostable containers. • Flatware, straws, prepackaged foods are exempt. • Provides decals to recognize businesses meeting Green to Go Rules.