The San Diego City Council passed a Single Use Plastic Reduction Ordinance on Tuesday. The council passed an identical ordinance back in January 2019, but it was stalled due to litigation.
The new law covers a long list of polystyrene products, including polystyrene foam food service ware, food trays, egg cartons, coolers, ice chests, pool or beach toys and dock floats, mooring buoys, anchor or navigation markers.
Polystyrene foam products won't be allowed at city facilities, and city departments will not be able to purchase or acquire food service ware made from polystyrene foam either. Food vendors will only be able to offer single use utensils and straws upon request.
The Surfrider Foundation's, San Diego County policy coordinator Mitch Silverstein spoke at the city council meeting and was happy with the overwhelming 7-1 vote in favor of the ban.
“All these small local steps are the way to create that snowball effect, so that we can have state and federal and international action to replace single use plastic with better alternatives,” Silverstein said.
The Surfrider Foundation said plastic makes up more than 80% of what they find during beach cleanups just in San Diego.
“Every week there's a new study that comes out that shows that they’re finding microplastics in human bodies, it’s in fish. It’s basically everywhere,” Silverstein said. “They found it in breast milk and human placentas even.”
San Diego is the largest city in California to ban styrofoam. Currently, more than 100 cities, including seven other cities in this county already have styrofoam restrictions in place.
“All these small local steps are the way to create that snowball effect, so that we can have state and federal and international action to replace single use plastic with better alternatives,” Silverstein said.
The ordinance goes into effect on April 1, 2023, but there are three waivers available:
A feasibility-based hardship in the case that no reasonably feasible alternative to polystyrene foam exists.
A financial hardship for entities with income of less than $500,000 per year and for which there is no suitable and reasonably affordable alternative product available. A one year
Contractual requirement where a one-year waiver is available for entities with a contract to purchase noncompliant material that was in place before the effective date of the ordinance.