Title
Joint resolution adopting a policy to prohibit single use plastics in Lake County's operations by January 1, 2023.
Staff Summary
* At previous committee meetings, members requested that staff look at options to eliminate single use plastics in the County's cafeteria operations.
* At the Committee's July 7, 2021 meeting, staff presented background and information related to the County's cafeteria vendor along with options related to the elimination of single use plastics in the cafeteria operations.
* The Committee provided consensus to proceed in a partnership with SWALCO on acquiring a consultant to study the operations and summarize options and costs to eliminate single use plastics in Lake County.
* Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) completed an analysis and provided multiple options at the November 3, 2021 committee meeting. The Committee provided staff direction to work with board members on the drafting of a policy resolution for presentation at a subsequent meeting for consideration.
* This resolution aligns with Option 3 presented at the previous committee meeting to eliminate single use plastics from the County's cafeteria and vending operations by January 1, 2023.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the 2021 report from the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is approved by 195 governments and based on more than 14,000 studies, states that human-induced global warming of 1.5 degrees by 2050 is likely unavoidable and will lead to continued and increased volatile weather events, the extinction of species, water shortages, and flooding; and
WHEREAS, according to the same report, "Global warming of 1.5?C and 2?C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades"; and
WHEREAS, Lake County is currently experiencing the effects of climate change, including increased rainfall and flooding, record heat waves, Lake Michigan surges, flooded crops, dro...
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