[GreenYes] Re: Berkeley considers ban on coffee-cup sleeves

["Stephanie C. Davis" <scd18@wastereductionremedies.com>]

Well, my adopted home does it again.

I am forever intrigued at how much time people have to spend on these
"issues".

Health hazard.  Hmm.  From what exactly?  Did someone do an evidence-based
study? 

The City Council would be wiser spending its time on a campaign to educate
every food handler about the importance of hand washing and remind customers
to do the same.  And unless those used OCC sleeves are coming in contact
with orifices or mucus membranes, I can't fathom the problem.  (What's more,
what organisms live on OCC AND long enough to cause what problems?)

Being in both the pollution prevention and infection control professions, I
find this very, very amusing.  -Stephanie

              Stephanie C. Davis
       WASTE REDUCTION REMEDIESSM
                510/527-8864
  ScD18@WasteReductionRemedies.com

On Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays I can regularly be found at :

      Sutter Delta Medical Center
Quality Management / Infection Control
3901 Lone Tree Way,  Antioch, CA 94509
           DavisSt@sutterhealth.org
phone:      925-756-1118      fax:     925-779-3044

 Where I am the Infection Control Coordinator,
         work which is separate from WRR
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as much as you please."
 Mark Twain, 1835-1910
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Berkeley considers ban on coffee-cup sleeves

Thursday, March 21, 2002    Breaking News Sections


                 (03-21) 16:19 PST BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) --

                 Those outspoken Berkeley residents are at it again.
                 The problem this time? Nasty used coffee-cup
                 sleeves.

                 A group of people say it's a health hazard to reuse a
                 cardboard heat shield that protects hands wrapped
                 around hot coffee cups.

                 Some coffee houses in the area have been recycling
                 the sleeves to save paper and trash, meaning people
                 have to use a sleeve that has already been in contact
                 with another human hand.

                 The issue was brought to the city council meeting
                 Wednesday night. It was delayed until next month,
                 when city officials will ask health officials to
                 research the matter and consider whether to
                 prohibit reusing the sleeves.


******************************************
To post to the greenyes list,
email to: greenyes@grrn.org

Subscription information for
this list is available here:
http://www.grrn.org/general/greenyes.html
******************************************