What is San Mateo County’s Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance? The Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance (Ordinance) was adopted by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on February 25, 2020, went into effect in March 2020, and will be enforceable in March 2022. The Ordinance is part of a countywide effort to reduce the litter related impacts of single-use plastics led by the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability (OOS).
The Ordinance:
- Regulates and reduces the amount of disposable food service ware, especially those made of plastic, by food facilities in unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. (Expanded polystyrene, or Styrofoam, food service ware continues to be banned for use by food facilities.)
- Requires the replacement of food service ware that is non-compostable or non-recyclable with compostable alternatives that are non-plastic, natural fiber-based, and free of all intentionally added fluorinated chemicals. (Fluorinated chemicals are a concern for public health because they have been linked to serious health effects, such as kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disruption, delayed puberty, and obesity.)
- Requires the regulated distribution of disposable food service ware accessories such as straws, utensils, stirrers, napkins, and condiment packets.
Why is this important? According to the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability:
- Disposable food service ware are commonly littered or blown out of trash receptacles and into storm drain systems, which then flow into creeks, the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean.
- Single-use food & beverage packaging makes up 80% of ocean plastic pollution that comes from land.
- 1.3 million pounds of trash enters San Francisco Bay every year.
- This Ordinance builds on the success of existing bans adopted by all San Mateo County municipalities to eliminate single-use plastic bags and expanded polystyrene from the waste stream.
Why is expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) harmful? According to San Mateo County Health:
- Polystyrene is not recyclable or compostable.
- It breaks down into smaller pieces that may be ingested by wildlife resulting in reduced appetite, and starvation.
- It contains hazardous chemicals that may leach from polystyrene containers into food and drink, and may cause cancer.
Who has joined in on this effort? When it passed, the Ordinance was applied to unincorporated areas of San Mateo County and will start being enforced in these areas in March 2022 for food facilities. The start date for enforcing the Ordinance was recently extended by a year—prior, it was March 2021—to help food facilities amidst COVID-19. After it passed, several incorporated cities chose to adopt similar ordinances. The following jurisdictions in San Mateo County have adopted disposable food ware ordinances using the County’s model ordinance:
- City of South San Francisco – adopted on 3/25/20
- City of Burlingame – adopted on 5/4/20
- Town of Atherton – adopted on 6/17/20
- City of Half Moon Bay – adopted on 10/6/20
- City of Belmont – adopted on 11/25/20
- City of San Mateo – adopted on 2/1/21
- City of Millbrae – adopted on 2/23/21
Additional cities in the county are currently exploring the possibility of adopting the Ordinance for their jurisdictions.
What are effective ways to reduce the negative environmental impacts of disposable food service ware? The Ordinance states, in order or priority:
- Using reusable food service ware.
- Using natural-fiber based compostable materials, many made from renewable resources such as bamboo, wheat stalk/stem, and sugarcane that do not contain toxic chemicals.
- Recycling food service ware.
This Ordinance can help make a difference for the longevity of our water quality and aquatic ecosystems—with every cup, plate, and container at a time!
Do you want to make a simple difference regarding food ware? Take our Litter Pledge to help make San Mateo County litter-free. You can receive a free reusable metal straw with a silicone tip and cleaning brush and carry it with you wherever you go.
