June 29, 2017

Dear CEC Community,

As we celebrate the recent decision by the City of Santa Barbara to go 100% renewable, and surrounding jurisdictions consider setting similar goals, it's a good time to look at how our individual actions can also make a difference in the effort to combat climate change. One powerful avenue is eliminating single-use plastics in our day-to-day lives.

Disposable plastics are used for an average of 12 minutes, but their impacts can last for decades. They easily escape collection systems and end up in our waterways, where they harm wildlife, clog storm drains and litter beaches.

CEC's #ditchplastic initiatives run throughout the year in an effort to reduce dependence on single-use plastic products. Our current programs include:

Rethink the Drink: This program provides hydration stations and plastic education to schools in our area, currently including multiple locations in North County, and the cities of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, and Goleta. We have installed 84 refill stations (which have been used nearly 3 million times) in 60 schools, and directly educated over 21,000 students through classroom presentations and assemblies. We are adding units and holding educational programs at four additional schools in the fall of 2017.
 
Ban the Bag: We successfully advocated for local single-use bag reduction ordinances and were part of a statewide coalition that led to California’s plastic bag law, the first in the nation. The law annually reduces the number of bags distributed by 12 billion.

Hold the Foam: We are strongly advocating for EPS (Styrofoam) reduction laws in Santa Barbara and Goleta. Styrofoam is plastic made from styrene, and is what many coffee cups and lids are made of, in addition to take out food containers. Through our coalition advocacy, Carpinteria passed an EPS reduction law in 2008 and is currently considering expanding the law to include retail sales of EPS products. We will present to the City of Santa Barbara’s Sustainability Committee at their next (as yet unscheduled) meeting, and are working with the City of Goleta to do the same. 

As you go about enjoying the warmer weather and family outings of summer, we encourage you to take the Plastic Free July challenge and reduce or eliminate single-use plastics in your daily activities. Bring reusable water bottles and bags on your outings, use non-plastic silverware and plates at BBQs, and invest in a refillable coffee cup. See below for other ways you can join in to help our community be a model of clean energy habits.

Sincerely,

Sigrid Wright
CEO/Executive Director

Renewable and plastic free. 

CEC's Solarize Program
Share our powerful group purchasing program with any homeowners you know in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, and the city of Irvine. Over 540 homes have found it cheaper and easier to go solar using our streamlined system. Learn more. 

Energize California Network
Keep up-to-date with the latest developments from CEC's partner, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, by joining their network. If you have a clean energy start up, apply to be a part of their Innovators incubator program. Learn more.

Plastic Free July 
Take your #ditchplastic efforts to the next level this month by joining over a million people world-wide from 130 countries who are taking the Plastic Free challenge, promoted locally by Save the Mermaids. Learn more.

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