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2025 Year in Review: ReThink Disposable in California
It's been another successful year for the ReThink Disposable program, and we want to thank our Board, our members, and our valued supporters for trusting us to do this work.
We wrapped up a four-year contract with StopWaste where we worked together to reduce single-use disposable foodware in Alameda County. We've done multiple conversion case studies with local businesses over the course of this contract — the most recent a five (5) restaurant study in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, where we found that even a simple straw and sauce cup conversion saves the restaurant $694 annually and
2025 Year in Review: Toxics in California
California is known as a leader in regulating toxic chemicals in products to protect public health and prevent pollution. The end of the year is a great time to review the opportunities and challenges faced by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund’s Toxics Program in 2025 and how we met them. There were some grave disappointments, but those only provide fuel for future victories.
More Foam Bans In California: Milpitas Adopts First Reading Of Expanded Polystyrene Foodware Ordinance
Excitingly, on May 16, 2017, Milpitas City Council in California held a public hearing and adopted the first reading of an Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foodware ordinance necessary to restrict the provision of EPS foam food service ware and protect public health, safety, and welfare.
Both the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and The California Restaurant Association (CRA) submitted letters of opposition to Milpitas Ordinance 293. During a preliminary public hearing on May 2, 2017, a representative of the CRA opposed the ordinance on the grounds that a ban would harm the plastics industry by
Dozens Take the ReThink Disposable Pledge at EcoFest
In celebration of Earth Day, the Peralta Community College District hosted the 11 thannual EcoFest Sustainability Festival at Laney College on Thursday, April 20, 2017. The festival featured over 100 groups including live music, dancing lessons, local programs, environmental companies and non-profits, exhibitors featuring sustainable goods, and food trucks.
ReThink Disposable participated as a sponsor and educated and engaged the campus community at a booth to showcase the results of the Laney College campus litter study that Clean Water Action conducted with 55 student volunteers in March
Water as a Human Right
The Human Right to Water, passed by the legislature in 2012 and signed by Governor Brown, was a great policy idea with almost no teeth. Community members and advocates worked for years to gain recognition for water as a human right, with our first bill, AB 1242 (Ruskin, 2009) vetoed by then-Governor Schwarzenegger and its successor, AB 685 (Eng, 2012) taking the full 2-year session to pass. The legislation was short and to the point:
It is hereby declared to be the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for