A giant leap toward throw-away-free living

Policy
Written By Brooking Gatewood

Episode #1

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The story of Berkeley's groundbreaking disposable foodware ordinance, w/ Martin Bourque, Berkeley Ecology Center & Miriam Gordon, UPSTREAM

On January 22nd, 2019, the city of Berkeley, CA made national history by unanimously voting for an ordinance that Mayor Jesse Arreguin called “the most ambitious, comprehensive legislation to reduce throw-away foodware in the United States.”

The Disposable-Free Berkeley Ordinance will require reusable dishware for dining on-site, compostable packaging and flatware for to-go orders, and a 25 cent charge on to-go cups. We interviewed the ordinance authors, UPSTREAM’s Program Director and Ecology Center’s Executive Director Martin Borque, for The Indisposable Podcast: UPSTREAM’s new podcast showcasing solutions to plastic pollution!

The victory in Berkeley proves that eliminating disposable pollution is an attainable goal city-wide. The Berkeley ordinance's requirement for restaurants to serve its dining-in customers on real and reusable is one of the key foundational tools for Throw-Away-Free Communities. Thanks to the good work of Clean Water Action, we know that they will also save money by moving to real and reusable.

Brooking Gatewood

Brooking hosts Upstream’s The Indisposable Podcast and guides our team on virtual collaboration and culture-building. She has worked with Break Free From Plastic US since 2016 as a facilitator and strategist, and has spent much of the last decade supporting collaborative leadership for many ambitious change efforts - from saving monarch butterflies to curbing diabetes. In her spare time, Brooking can be found writing and performing poetry, or hosting community-connection events in her local LA neighborhood.

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Community first: environmental justice organizing
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Introducing the Indisposable Podcast