Washtenaw Food Policy Council
Policy Action Team Meeting Minutes
Use this form to take minutes at each Policy Action Team meeting. Proposed minutes must be available within eight business
days after a meeting. Approved minutes must be available within five days after the meeting at which they are approved. Send
proposed and approved minutes to Kathy Fellabaum at fellabaumk@ewashtenaw.org
Policy Action Team:
Food and Food Packaging Waste
Date of Meeting:
August 20, 2013
Time of Meeting:
3:30 – 5:00 PM
Address of Meeting:
City of Ann Arbor, City Hall, 301 E Huron Street
4th Floor Large Conference Room
Washtenaw Food Policy Council attendees:
Nicole Chardoul
Additional attendees (first and last names):
Public comment (first and last names):
Note taker:
Agenda:
Kiersten Hanson Smith RRS
Abby Lemmon, City of Ann Arbor
Tom McMurtrie, City of Ann Arbor
Daniel Stephens, Bgreen
Jeff Krcmarik, Washtenaw Co.
Seema Jolly, WFPC
Phel Meyer, Bizee Box
Dan Bair, St. Joe’s Farm
None
Kiersten Hanson Smith
1) Introductions
2) Approve 7/16/13 meeting minutes
3) Review status of mapping project, survey and FAQ
4) Review edits/updates to draft Action Items and Draft Policy Language on
EPS Ban
5) Select top 4 to 5 Action Items that we want to focus on and categorize
them into the goals of the Council
6) Next Steps:
a. Next Meeting
b. Survey and FAQ work
c. GIS Mapping continues
d. Present Action Items to Council
Date minutes approved:
Meeting Minutes:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Started at 3:30 pm
Introductions
Approve July Minutes - Moved by Phel Meyer, seconded by Jeff Krcmarik, approved unanimously
Review status of mapping project, survey and FAQ
a. Make decision EPS survey, expand to PS ban
b. Find out how much PS is being used and how it is recycled - Tom
c. Life cycle analysis of reusable vs. throw-away/compostable – Phel
d. Life cycle analysis of PS vs. PET - Daniel
e. Lunch tray LCA - Phel
f. Survey is intended to educate, gather information on participation level/success and offer a softrollout of the future ban
5) Review edits/updates to draft Action Items
a. For Food waste donations to Farms: add farms, who would except food, provide transportation
b. For food donations for people: Who is available to transport from food waste generators and
food assistance programs
c. Add assistance to support the expansion of food waste compost processing capabilities
d. Draft action items in response to Vision for WFPC in order to recommend action items
6) Select top 4 to 5 Action Items that we want to focus on and categorize them into the goals of the Council
a. Revise definition of zero waste to not include WTE (waste to energy)
Washtenaw Food Policy Council
Policy Action Team Meeting Minutes
Use this form to take minutes at each Policy Action Team meeting. Proposed minutes must be available within eight business
days after a meeting. Approved minutes must be available within five days after the meeting at which they are approved. Send
proposed and approved minutes to Kathy Fellabaum at fellabaumk@ewashtenaw.org
b.
Add Action Item to support the development of a purchasing cooperative for lower cost
container alternatives
c. Action Item #1 (combined): Develop, and advocate for, a ban on expanded polystyrene (EPS) (or
all PS#6) disposable food service containers in response to public health and waste management
concerns. Provide recommendations for suitable alternatives, prioritized and customized, to
Washtenaw County’s conditions and support the development of a purchasing cooperative for
lower cost container alternatives. Revise the current Washtenaw County Environmental
Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Policy and develop sample language for all the municipalities to
adopt.
WFPC Vision: “Sustain the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of
future generations”
d. Action Item #2 (combined): Survey food service providers to gauge current practices, along with
potential support and challenge for regulations concerning food and beverage packaging.
Generate data to make available through an educational campaign/Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) on the costs and benefits of switching over to reusable, compostable or recyclable food
service containers.
WFPC Vision: “Create a food system that promotes economic development and a sustainable
local economy”
e. Action Item #3: Support advocacy for food waste generators to require diversion of a percentage
of their inedible food waste to animal feed and edible food waste to assistance organizations.
WFPC Action: “Maximize the use of local, regional, and seasonal foods”
f. Action Item #4: Require all municipal-sponsored events to be zero waste compliant by July 2015,
in support of the City of Ann Arbor’s Waste Less: City of Ann Arbor Solid Waste Resource Plan
Update 2013-2017, to achieve a desired outcome of improved food waste collection and
composting infrastructure, as well as waste reduction regulation in food packaging throughout
the community.
WFPC Vision: “Value and preserve community land for food production”
g. Action Item #5: Support a decision to require all the municipalities in the County to offer
curbside compost and/or food waste containers to single and multi-family residents. Residential
sector organics ban to landfill would be put into place as community collection infrastructure
expands.
WFPC Vision: “Sustain the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of
future generations”
h. Action Item #6: Develop language for the ban of organics from disposal to a landfill for
commercial and institutional sectors. If food waste generator is within 20 miles of a composting
facility or anaerobic digester that also composts it’s residuals, it would be required to send food
waste on a phased-in schedule by volume, with all generators in full compliance by 2020.
WFPC Vision: “Sustain the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of
future generations”
i. Action Item #7 (combined): Develop and provide online tools and resources for residents,
businesses, and events to create an easily accessible avenue for food donations, zero waste,
composting, waste-free school lunches, and safe and sustainable food packaging. Online tools to
include a map of food service providers, food waste generators, food waste haulers, composting
facilities, hog farms, food rescue organizations, etc. as a resource for all sectors to implement
waste reduction through: donation, reusable containers, composting and recycling services.
WFPC Vision: “Improve access to healthy and culturally appropriate food for all residents”
7) Next Steps
a. Next Meeting: TBD. Nicole is out of town on Tuesday, September 17.
b. Jeff to try to arrange a tour of Western Washtenaw MRF/Compost Site
c. Advance plastics research and Cost-Benefit Analyses and LCAs for PS ban
d. Survey edits and GIS Mapping continues
e. Present Action Items to Council