Paper cup ban isn't hard for council to swallow

Minneapolis City Council member extracts support for new mugging policy -- and empties the cupboards in the process.

Last update: March 4, 2008 - 3:13 PM

It looked like a no-brainer when the leadership of the Minneapolis City Council recently decided not to buy any more paper cups for the roughly three dozen elected officials, aides and secretaries who work there. Taxpayers had purchased at least 3,000 cups in the past year for the council, for a cost of at least $360.

But some felt mugged by the mug-only policy. To flush out the grumblers, Council Member Scott Benson put the issue out for debate Monday by the Health, Energy and Environment Committee he chairs.

His resolution for a mug-only policy asserts vast energy and waste advantages for ceramic over paper and polystyrene. "This may seem silly to some, but it isn't when you multiply it by billions," said Council Member Paul Ostrow.

Benson's strategy worked. No one was willing to take a brown vote. The only hint of a demur came from Council Member Diane Hofstede, who worked her way through school as a waitress. After observing council housekeeping, she warned visitors who borrow a mug "you'll be drinking at your own risk."

And for those who actually wash their mugs between shots of java, Benson's resolution also mandates "environmentally responsible" dish detergent.

Of course, politicians get so many free mugs that Benson may just have been looking for a way to clean out his cupboards. He reports bringing in about a dozen from home so far. He got another Monday when the city won a state environmental award for its sustainability program.

Knowing the limits of their power, council members didn't act to ban paper and plastic throughout City Hall, although they're hoping for a trickle-down effect. "I think we're leading here by example," Ostrow said.

STEVE BRANDT

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