CRRA2019

Program Specialist

Kerry Parker has been a program specialist in integrated waste management with the City of Alameda for 16 years. She has lead programs certifying City departments as Green Businesses: transforming internal processes, rewriting purchasing policy, and creating a conservation-focused culture for employees. She was the recipient of the American Public Works Association’s (APWA) 2016 Sustainability Award for “Walking the Talk: Green Certifying the City of Alameda”. Kerry revised and is actively implementing Alameda’s Disposable Food Service Ware Reduction Law, passed in 2017, the first of its kind in California. She has partnered with ReThink Disposable to help businesses reduce single use food ware.  

Kerry Parker will present an update on Alameda's implementation of its Disposable Food Service Ware Reduction Lawbanning single use plastic food ware and allowing only compostable fiber food ware that went into effect January 2018. She will provide insight into how to pass an ordinance of this kind, an update of the City’s partnership with ReThink Disposable, and offer advice to other jurisdictions thinking about a single-use plastic ordinance.

Executive Director

Martin Bourque, since 2000, has led the Ecology Center, a community-based organization incorporated on Earth Day in 1970 that has perform curbside recycling collection since 1973. Martin has spearheaded innovative efforts such as creating a farmers’ market industry group, and passing the nation’s first Soda Tax. By linking local grassroots grit with highly competent program implementation, and increasingly effective policy advocacy, Martin has led the Ecology Center to become a high impact engine for change. Martin has helped lead in the development and advocacy for Berkeley's pioneering new Single Use Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance.

The city of Berkeley passed (expected by Feb) this year the landmark, far reaching Single Use and Litter Reduction Ordinance that bans single use plastic foodware allowing only certified compostable single use foodware, bans toxic flourinated chemicals in compostable foodware, requires reusable foodware for dinning in, separate charges for single use cups, and allows single use foodware accessories only on request. Martin will review how this ordinance was developed involving zero waste leaders and organizations, working with city council and staff, engaging business community and public, and how challenges were address and strategies for implementation. 

Recycling Program Manager

Heidi Obermeit has 15 years of experience implementing a variety of recycling programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. She developed a campus-wide recycling program at Mills College in Oakland, managed a team of Recology Diversion Auditors focused on reducing recycling and compost contamination in San Francisco, and is currently working to achieve Berkeley’s goal of zero waste as the city’s Recycling Program Manager. Heidi began her career as the first Student Recycling Education Coordinator at UC Berkeley. She is passionate about reducing waste and building healthy soil.

Heidi will share her experience working on Berkeley’s landmark Single Use Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance from a city staff perspective. She will highlight the challenges and lessons learned from the intensive public and stakeholder engagement process, and she will discuss the city’s plans to work with business to assist them with the transition from disposable to reusable foodware. She will bring insight into what it takes to pass and implement an innovative ordinance to reduce single-use plastics in 2019.

Program Director

Miriam Gordon currently leads Upstream’s program to make throw-away a thing of the past. Previously, she was the California Director of Clean Water Action, where she developed a program on waste prevention and launched ReThink Disposable. She has been a leading California advocate helping to advance local and state policies that reduce plastic pollution at the source. She has previously worked with local, state and federal agencies implementing pollution prevention and water quality programs, including technical assistance to reduce industrial plastics discharges and support clean boating. Miriam holds a JD degree from Vermont Law School and was an undergraduate at Vassar College. 

The response to the plastic pollution problem at the community level in California has created a patchwork of local policies aimed at plastic foodware. From bans on plastic straws, to requirements that all foodware be compostable, local government is grappling with the lack of recycling options of plastics and a growing demand to eliminate single use plastics. UPSTREAM will present a model ordinance aimed at incorporating these goals as well as reducing all disposables in food service and provide a policy update for California. In addition, UPSTREAM will discuss the emergence of reusable cup and container services and the types of policies that communities can implement to scale these services and  provide regional reusable solutions.

Zero Waste Senior Coordinator

Jack Macy has 30+ years of experience in developing and implementing innovative and model composting, recycling and other zero waste programs and policies at the local and state level. Jack led the development of the first large scale US urban food composting program and pioneering policies in San Francisco, including zero waste goals, mandatory composting and recycling separation, banning polystyrene foam, requiring compostable and recyclable products, banning single use plastic bags and requiring checkout bag charges, and banning plastic straws and fluorinated chemicals in foodware. Jack has helped jurisdictions and organizations across the globe pursue zero waste.