Local Litter Culprit: Fast Food

The litter lining the streets of South San Francisco has been analyzed by national grassroots organization Clean Water action in an effort to identify the origin of pollution in the Bay.

Clean Water Action used South San Francisco as a site for their survey that found fast food restaurants and convenience stores as the top contributors to trash.

“We found that fast food restaurants and other types of convenience stores are making decisions to purchase disposable products that could be eliminated,” said Clean Water Action’s California Director Miriam Gordon.

The two test sites in South San Francisco were along El Camino Real between Country Club Drive and West Orange Avenue as well as along Mission Road from McLellan Drive to Holly Avenue.

Environmental organizations, city officials and local volunteers began identifying individual pieces of trash in January as

Gordon commented that this is not a comprehensive litter study, but a snapshot survey conducted to better understand the sources of trash.

“We don’t want to point fingers,” said Julie Casagrande of the San Mateo County Department of Public Works in a prior interview with Patch. “We want to get communities involved in a discussion with us and local businesses.”

The survey found that within South San Francisco the businesses with the highest contributions to trash are in order: McDonalds, 711, Starbucks, Taco Bell and Trader Joes.

“It was interesting that BART is also a fairly significant contributor,” Gordon said.

Receipts and BART tickets were a noteworthy in the survey conducted in South San Francisco but paper napkins were the number one culprits in the streets.

“We didn’t realize napkins were scored highest,” Gordon said. “It was pretty stunning.”

There was one item that couldn’t even be counted: cigarettes.

The copious amount of cigarette butts was so immense, Gordon said, that there would be no way to actually complete the survey.

As far as classification of litter, the survey found that 68 percent of trash in South San Francisco comes from disposable food and beverage packaging.

Such needless waste as condiment packages, paper wrapping for straws and taking too many napkins can be easily addressed, Gordon said.

“Some restaurants put large piles of napkins on counters and customers just grab handfuls of napkins,” she said. By putting napkins in a dispenser, she said, customers take only as many napkins as they need.

Clean Water Action found that litter would be reduced by 18 percent if the business replaces disposables take out food packaging. Litter would also be reduced 13 percent if consumers use reusable containers for their beverages.

“These seem like big challenges, but we’re seeing a dramatic change with reuseable grocery bags,” Gordon said. “We would like to see the same consciousness and awareness.”

Gordon suggested thinking about the disposable products related with a cup of coffee. The cup, lid, stirrer, cup sleeve, straw, paper wrapping of straw, sugar packet and container for creamer are all subject to waste.

“In the U.S we consume 320 million hot and cold beverage cups each day,” Gordon said.

Bringing in your own mug and providing creamer and sugar in bulk at the café can significantly reduce waste.

Clean Water Action hopes that businesses will encourage customers to bring their own food and beverage packaging by giving discounts, raising awareness or charging for disposable food and beverage containers.

Trash that is sometimes carelessly strewn about not only affects the beautification of the city but also can cause serious environmental affects. The litter that blows through the streets and catches on to branches does not only affect those on land but 80 percent of marine debris derives from land-based sources, Gordon said.

Clean Water Action is formulating a guide book and check list with simple solutions to the very complex amount of trash found in local communities and throughout the U.S.  Individuals can learn to make small daily decisions in order to eliminate litter.

“Consumers are a big part of the problem,” Gordon said.