Single Use Disposables Bans in Northern California – The Action in Northern California Laura McKaughan - Zero Waste Symposium 2019

Former President of Northern California Recycling Ass. (NCRA) Current board member and Treasurer of CA Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) Consultant working in Recycling and Zero Waste in the Northern California Bay Area. Denote that I started my consulting firm in 2014 and a little bit about what I do.

Background on Activity in NorCal SF Mandatory recycling and organics ordinance in 2009 Alameda County in 2012 Many counties still not mandatory Most moving toward exclusive franchises Went into effect Jan 1 2017

Santa Cruz Disposables Ban No plastic straws (paper OK) No plastic stir sticks (wood OK) All cups (hot or cold) must be compostable All to-go cutlery must be certified compostable No Styrofoam No #6 polystyrene products (including hot cup lids) All to-go containers must be recyclable or certified compostable In place as of April 2017

City of Alameda Ordinances Banned Styrofoam in 2008 Straws upon request since 2017 $400K grant for Rethink Disposables to support food vendors in downtown corridor to switch to reusables Rethink disposables has the goal of 80-100 of the City’s food vendors to receive support and guidance on how to save an annual average of $5,000 and eliminate 2,000 pounds of waste by promoting reusable food ware, reducing food ware packaging, and eliminating single-use disposable items such as straws. 

Berkeley Disposable Foodware Ordinance Requires only reusable foodware can be used for dine-in service All takeout foodware must be recyclable or compostable Food vendors charge customers $0.25 for every disposable beverage cup and disposable food container Disposable compostable straws, stirrers, cup spill plugs, napkins, and utensils for take-out are provided only upon request by the customer or at a self-serve station. Just passed in Jan goes into effect in July 2019

San Francisco SUDs Ordinances Ban on plastic straws, paper only and upon request Other single use items like plastic stirrers, splash sticks, plastic cocktail sticks and toothpicks not permitted PFOAs not permitted in food service ware Already has had a requirement that all food service items be recyclable or compostable since 2012 Straws and cutlery considered “recyclable” PFAS chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are used in the manufacture of a wide variety of products,  Kicks in Jul 2019

Questions? Laura McKaughan laura@envirolutionsconsulting.com (415)425-8229 www.envirolutionsconsulting.com