While it’s not just a local issue nor does Mountain View have the authority, I wish there was a way to eliminate the constant and increasing flow of junk mail. It’s unnecessary and pure waste.

I'm happy to see this change. Recology has been doing industrial composting for residents for several years now, so moving to compostable containers makes sense for the city.

Plastic pollution is not only a waste problem and health problem but also an urgent fossil fuel problem. In the US, plastic is almost always sourced from fracked natural gas. At every stage in its life cycle, especially manufacturing, plastic produces significant emissions. Yet the petrochemical industry is investing billions to expand plastic production by an estimated 40 percent over the next few decades. They're using plastic to compensate for decreasing profits as Americans turn to more sustainable sources of energy. According to a recent report from the Center on International Environmental Law, emissions from plastic threaten the world’s ability to keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Thank you to Mountain View City Council members for doing the right thing for the planet!

Another "feel good" measure without any data to back the ban. Perhaps there are more substantial contributors to landfill waste than disposable utensils?

I support this measure however MV has to actually start composting these materials. In MV Recology only transports the recyclables. They do not actually do the recycling. That is handled at the SMART station in Sunnyvale.

If you search the What Bin? section of the Recology Mountain View site for “Compostable Plastic Containers” you’ll get this discouraging message saying to put these in the garbage bin. So why can Recology at SM handle industrial composting but SMART cannot?

Plastic-like containers, cups and utensils that are marked or "certified compostable" do not break down well enough in the industrial/commercial composting process. Please put these in the garbage for now until the industry improves the compostability of these products. Thank you.

I agree with Asklee - if Mountain View is asking restaurants to start using plastics that are "certified compostable", the city ought to provide a way to compost them. Otherwise there does not seem to be much of a gain. The reply above that simply says that products "certified compostable" don't actually break down in the composting process sounds like a labeling issue. Is there truly no way to compost these products?

Disposable and bio-degradable bamboo chopsticks could easily replace plastic ware providing a knife isn't needed.

Bamboo is just another invasive, nuisance plant (similar to a weed) and either irradicating or applying its wood to widespread disposable dining use would pose no major loss to various ecosystems.

The other alternative is to serve food that can be easily eaten with one's hands like they do in the Middle East and Africa.