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HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20110329 MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Ashley Cantrell, Environmental Health Department THRU: Lee Cassin, Environmental Health Director F e r Cam' DATE OF MEMO: March 24, 2011 MEETING DATE: March 29, 2011 RE Bottled Water in Aspen REQUEST OF COUNCIL: Staff requests Council's direction regarding which action(s) staff should pursue to start reducing bottled water use in Aspen. At City Council's request, Environmental Health staff compiled comprehensive research regarding bottled water use and the environmental effects of this product. This memo examines the possible actions that Council can take to address the issue and outlines a recommended campaign strategy. The focused goal of this campaign is to reduce the amount of bottled water that is bought, sold and distributed in Aspen, while at the same time, branding Aspen's municipal tap water as a quality, healthy product. The complete elimination of bottled water is neither an achievable nor a manageable goal at this time. The main focus will be bottled water, twelve ounces or less, sold at grocery and convenience stores or distributed at public events. The end goal will be to increase the amount of visitors and residents that frequently choose to drink tap water over bottled water. DISCUSSION: Bottled water is an item of convenience for residents and visitors in Aspen that has significant environmental impacts. Please reference Attachment A for a complete explanation of the environmental and health effects of bottled water. Here are the key issues: Energy Use: Making all the bottles that are used to meet America's demand for bottled water required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil in 2009 and generated more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. To visualize the entire energy costs of the lifecycle of a bottle of water, imagine filling up a quarter of that twelve ounce bottle with oil. 1 I! ! !I! II! !R , t ,' ea Impact on the Environment and Municipal Waste: Bottled water is responsible for increased waste disposal costs for cities like Aspen. Each year more than 4 billion pounds of PET plastic bottles end up in landfills or as litter. That four billion pounds of plastic waste from bottles cost U.S. cities more than $70 million in disposal costs alone. Even if bottles are recycled, Aspen tax payers are still paying for those bottles to be shipped to processing centers and recycling markets across the nation, and it takes significant energy to recycle those bottles. Consumption: Between 2004 and 2009, the United States consumption of bottled water increased 24 %. Americans consume around 30 billion liters of bottled water each year, requiring 900,000 tons of plastic, enough to fill 10,000 train cars or fill a football stadium two miles high. Health: The bottled water industry markets their product as a healthy and safe product from pristine sources. This messaging may be misleading, as it is estimated that 40% of bottled water is actually tap water from American towns and cities. According to the National Resources Defense Council, there are also regulatory gaps in the monitoring and testing of bottled water. The FDA oversees and regulates the bottled water industry, but an estimated sixty percent of bottled water in the U.S. is actually exempt from FDA regulation because FDA rules do not apply to bottled water that is packaged and sold within the same state. That leaves regulation to the states, with minimal or no funding dedicated to the enforcement of this industry. The rules that govern bottled water are not as strict as those for tap water. Local Considerations: Aspen tap, the tap water provided by the City of Aspen, is a quality product, sourced from Maroon and Castle Creeks. Both of these rivers have headwaters in designated Wilderness Areas, meaning that these waters are not directly affected by human development like sewage treatment plants or agricultural runoff Aspen is the first municipality to use this water, so minimal processing is needed to make the water safe for drinking. The disposal costs of plastic bottles is a concern in all locations, but in Aspen waste management concerns receive extra focus due to the limited remaining lifespan of the Pitkin County Landfill and the high costs associated with recycling plastics in a location far away from recycling markets. 2 Given the health, environmental, financial and efficiency concerns outlined above, it is clear that bottled water is a wasteful and environmentally- harmful product when used in Aspen, Colorado, where the local tap water is safe and plentiful. The use of bottled water in Aspen is solely for convenience. Visitors and residents should be provided with the resources and information that allows them to make educated, informed decisions, and should have easy access to reusable water bottles and fill stations. POLICY OPTIONS: Fee or ban on bottled water sold in stores. A fee or a ban might be an option that Council can pursue. Please let staff know if you would like more information on either of these options. Eliminate City spending on bottled water A City government's goal is to use the tax payer money efficiently. If Council feels spending money on bottled water at City meetings and events is wasteful and harmful to the environment, Council can choose to pass a resolution that eliminates bottled water in all of the following instances: - Council meetings, work sessions, and retreats - City Council advisory board meetings - Celebrations or parties for City employees (going away, holiday, etc.) - Events organized by the City of Aspen special events department - Staff meetings, trainings or retreats - City of Aspen hosted conferences There are currently very few instances when bottled water is available at City events or meetings, so this would be a minimal change to current operations. Eliminate the free distribution of bottled water at public events All events requesting a special event permit to use City of Aspen property must comply with the ZGreen checklist. This checklist requires that events meet 3 of the possible 6 points in the food and beverage section, one of which is eliminating the sale or distribution of bottled water at the event. While this policy does not eliminate bottled water from all events, it does raise awareness and encourages some event planners to forgo bottled water at their event. However, some events are partially sponsored by bottled water companies; so many events still provide bottled water. The existing ZGreen policy could be strengthened in a variety of ways. - Allow events to sell bottled water, but not distribute it for free. - Require events to provide portable fill stations whenever bottled water is available, to give attendees a choice. A successful example of a high -end facility that has voluntarily stopped selling and giving away bottled water is the Wheeler Opera House. Hopefully the Wheeler Opera House can act as a model for other organizations and events. OUTREACH OPTIONS: Many visitors and residents may not have access to Aspen tap water while in town or may not have reusable bottles. If Council wants to start a voluntary campaign aimed at changing behavior, several programs are listed below. Sell reusable bottles in grocery stores with fill stations The City can buy reusable bottles and create a sellable product for grocery and convenience stores. The program would place reusable, attractive bottles in the bottled water aisle with a prompt that talks about the high quality tap water available in Aspen. Customers will be able to buy a reusable bottle, branded with the Aspen image, for a small amount and fill the bottle with Aspen tap. Resources Needed: - Reusable water bottles with Aspen branding. This could be a partnership between the City and a reusable water bottle company. - Fill stations in grocery stores. City Market has plans to install a fill- station at the front of the store. Clark's does not have a station, but staff could work with them to get one. - Marketing and outreach information for stores including brochures and information cards for the displays. Offer more water stations in the downtown core, including information about Aspen tap Refer to Attachment B for pictures of water fill stations used in other cities. There are currently only 3 public water fountains in Aspen. None of these locations are centrally located and none are turned on in the winter months. Visitors have limited access to tap water because there are no conveniently located water fountains in Aspen. Staff recommends installing two water fill stations in the downtown core this summer as a pilot program. These fountains would include information and photos about Aspen tap water. They would also provide the city with an attractive outreach opportunity for other programs. Resources Needed: - Fill stations - Installation costs. Water pipes are not available in all areas of the walking mall. The pilot test areas could be located close to existing infrastructure to reduce costs but need to be in the highest -demand areas as well. Give away reusable bottles as part ofa public outreach campaign Some local residents have developed the habit of carrying reusable water bottles with them around town and to events, but most visitors do not bring a reusable bottle with them while vacationing. The City could provide free or inexpensive reusable bottles to visitors at a number of different locations including: - Events and the Farmer's Market - Hotels - Pitkin County Airport - Information stations around town. Encouraging people to drink Aspen tap will be unsuccessful if we do not provide the tools for people to change their behavior. Resources Needed: - Reusable bottles - Signs and stickers FINANCIALBUDGET IMPACTS: Sell reusable bottles in grocery stores with fill stations High - quality water bottles with an Aspen logo could be sold for $3 -$5 per bottle at grocery stores and locations around town. This price would be high enough to make them valuable to the customer, but inexpensive enough to compete with traditional plastic bottles. At an initial cost of $7/bottle for stainless steel bottles made in the U.S.A, the City could make a purchase of 4,000 bottles for $28,000, getting $16,000 in return funding from sales. Bottles not made in the U.S. are available for about $4/bottle. Giveaway or sell reusable bottles as part of a public outreach campaign Bottles could be sold or given away at many locations besides grocery stores. See above for price estimates. Offer two water stations in the downtown core, including attractive signs with information about Aspen tap water. Water stations with freeze proof installations would cost about $10,000 /station. In addition, water pipes may need to be extended to reach the desired locations. There are opportunities to partner with private companies to fund these fountains through public private partnerships, and to work with local artists to make the fountains unique to Aspen. Eliminate water bottles at city meetings This policy, if implemented, would save the City money each year. Currently, some departments still offer bottled water at meetings or conferences. This would also make a statement for other organizations in Aspen to follow. Eliminate water bottles at City permitted special events Bottled water companies are sponsors or vendors at local events, including Food and Wine, the Motherlode Volleyball Classic, and other annual events. At other events, water is sold at food booths to attendees. The sponsorship money associated with bottled water would need to be replaced by other sponsors, which could be challenging for event planners. Instead of eliminating bottled water at events, the City could mandate that bottled water only be sold, allowing companies to sponsor events while at the same time reducing the amount of water that is distributed and wasted. The City could also require that event planners offer Aspen tap fill stations whenever a bottled water sponsor is present at an event. If the city provided fill stations at parks that host special events, the cost would be $10,000 /station plus variable costs to extend water and electricity lines. 5 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: The environmental impacts of bottled water are widespread. In particular, the industry has adverse effects on human health, climate change, resource consumption, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and solid waste management. Refer to Attachment A for a detailed environmental analysis of bottled water. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends that the City pursue a multi -part campaign, including distribution of reusable bottles around town, requiring events to provide reusable bottles and fill stations alongside any bottled water they provide, ensuring that groceries provide fill stations and reusable water bottles, and a pilot test program of new fill- stations in Aspen. ALTERNATIVES: City Council can choose to address bottled water use with a campaign or action that is not discussed here. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A: Environmental Issues Attachment B: Pictures of Water Fountains 6 Attachment A: Environmental Considerations The environmental implications of the single -use bottled water industry are vast. As a disposable and widely used item, bottled water is wasteful and generally unnecessary in Aspen, where the available tap water is safe. In particular, the industry has adverse effects on human health, climate change, resource consumption, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and solid waste management. The following section will provide quantifiable information on the environmental liabilities of bottled water. The entire life cycle of this product is potentially damaging to the environment, including the extraction and processing of drinking water, manufacturing bottles, transportation and distribution of the final product, and disposal of the product once it is no longer in use. Further reading on this topic is available here http: / /www.emagazine.com /archive / 1125 . Health /Safety In a recent study, the Environmental Working Group found that six of the seven best - selling bottled water brands don't disclose the sources of their water, nor their treatment methods. The bottled water industry as a whole has a history of not releasing information about known contaminants. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the quality of public water supplies, the agency has no authority over bottled water. Bottled water that crosses state lines is considered a food product and is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which does mandate that it be bottled in sanitary conditions using food -grade equipment. It has been shown that reusing plastic bottles or allowing these bottles to sit in the sun or in harsh environments increases the migration of chemicals from the plastic bottled into the water. Staff does not recommend reusing plastic water bottles beyond the intended single use. Wildlife The environmental fall -out from the plastics industry on marine species is staggering. Up to 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year due to ingestion of and entanglement in plastic debris. Scientists have found several marine birds with stomachs full of plastic particles. Several studies suggest that as much as 80% of all marine debris is plastic (California Coastal Commission 2006; NOAA 2008). In the Pacific Ocean there are two "floating islands ", called the Pacific Trash Gyres, of such debris that put together are larger than the entire United States (see Figure 2). Scientists recorded that within a 5 million square mile radius there is six times more plastic than plankton (Ingraham 2001). Recycling Rates The EPA estimates that only 20 -30% of plastic bottles are actually recycled in the U.S., sending a possible 80% of all plastic bottles to our landfills. In a 2009 waste composition study of the Pitkin County Landfill, 130 pounds of plastic bottles were found in the trash from Aspen's homes and businesses, out of 4,300 pounds surveyed. 460 PACIFIC Bottled Water and Energy INSTITUTE A Pacific Institute Fact Sheet The growing consumption of bottled water raises questions about the product's economic and environmental costs. Among the most significant concerns are the resources required to produce the plastic bottles and to deliver filled bottles to consumers, including both energy and water. The Pacific Institute estimates that in 2006: • Producing bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including energy for transportation. • Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide • It took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water Total U.S. Consumption of Bottled Water in 2006 According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation; Americans bought a total of 31.2 billion liters of water in 2006, sold in bottles ranging from the 8 -ounce aquapods popular in school lunches to the multi -gallon bottles found in family refrigerators and office water coolers. Most of this water was sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, requiring nearly 900,000 tons of the plastic. PET is produced from fossil fuels — typically natural gas and petroleum. Energy Required to Make PET Plastic According to the plastics manufacturing industry, it takes around 3.4 megajoules of energy to make a typical one -liter plastic bottle, cap, and packaging.' Making enough plastic to bottle 31.2 billion liters of water required more than 106 billion megajoules of energy. Because a barrel of oil contains around 6 thousand megajoules, the Pacific Institute estimates that the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil were needed to produce these plastic bottles. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Consumption of Bottled Water The manufacture of every ton of PET produces around 3 tons of carbon dioxide (CO). Bottling water thus created more than 2.5 million tons of CO,in 2006.' Water Required to Make Bottled Water In addition to the water sold in plastic bottles, the Pacific Institute estimates that twice as much water is used in the production process. Thus, every liter sold represents three liters of water. Transporting and Recycling Bottled Water More energy is needed to fill the bottles with water at the factory, move it by truck, train, ship, or air freight to the user, cool it in grocery stores or home refrigerators, and recover, recycle, or throw away the empty bottles. The Pacific Institute estimates that the total amount of energy required for every bottle is equivalent, on average, to filling a plastic bottle 1/4 full with oil. Beverage Marketing Corporation estimate for 2006. 'Plastics Europe. http:// lca .plasticseurope.org/petb5.htm' I. Bousted. 2005. Eco- profiles of the European Plastics Industry: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), (Bottle grade Pacific Institute • 654 13' Street, Preservation Park, Oakland, California • 510.251.1600 • info @pacinst.org • www.pacinst.org). Attachment B: Water stations in other towns F ' Ilk ' , 1 mad —dill __ �,• - . .�� , FIITEREDWdiP.* ' // FLlYOUREottA _.+ \ ° f I IA . . /` - Manly near Sydney, Australia elbsed Water _ 14101 stitlOn art; , ■ ..11.. ,s.:.. j r H ....4%i " lir iiii t.125."71441 Yhere° LI r ._. ._ ilf 0 , • • RC' b' ©OOL Newcastle Campus ' -". ' 0 iciti)p i ‘11' 'X r ; , - ,Act. vls! 1 I � .. 'r Ilk. ' .. _ t 1 5 ._ ,... - ,,,,,„ ..... ...,,.......___. . r F1-r ,,r , - '1 � r Pte" t1� __ . .. .. . - • .0.fr7,0 . ,..r. r ti' 1 San Francisco, collaborative project with GlobalTap SPECIAL MEETING CALLED FOR EXECUTIVE SESSIONN `J I m. Q Date March 29, 2011 Call to order at: I. Ccsyrncilmembers present: Councilmembers not present: Mick Ireland ❑ Mick Ireland 2 Steve Skadron ❑ Steve Skadron 4 Ruth Kruger ❑ Ruth Kruger Torre n Torre Derek Johnson Derek Johnson II. Motion to go into executive session by Litt QiJ 4 ; seconded b le� 4 k �" Other persons present: AGAINST: FO : Mick Ireland n Mick Ireland Steve Skadron ❑ Steve Skadron Ruth Kruger ❑ Ruth Kruger Torre ❑ Torre E Derek Johnson ❑ Derek Johnson III. MOTION TO CONVENE EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSION OF: C.R.S. 24 -6- 402(4) 0, , e � ( e (a) The purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer, or sale of any real, personal, or other property interest (b) Conferences with an attorney for the local public body for the purposes of receiving legal advice on specific legal questions. (c) Matters required to be kept confidential by federal or state law or rules and regulations. (d) Specialized details of security arrangements or investigations, including defenses against terrorism, both domestic and foreign, and including where disclosure of the matters discussed might reveal information that could be used for the purpose of committing, or avoiding prosecution for, a violation of the law; (e) Determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations; developing strategy for negotiations; and instructing negotiators; (0 (I) Personnel matters except if the employee who is the subject of the session has requested an open meeting, or if the personnel matter involves more than one employee, all of the employees have requested an open meeting. IV. ATTESTATION: The undersigned attorney, representing the Council and being present at the executive session, attests that the subject of the unrecorded portions of the session constituted confidential attorney - client comfi ication: /i _sue• The undersigned chair of the executive session attests that the discussions in this ession e limi to the topic(s) described in Section III, above. Adjourned at: to :e rem O.t