New Legislation Aims to Curb Use of Disposable Foodware

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): The Berkeley City Council will soon consider the Disposable Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance, the most ambitious and comprehensive piece of municipal legislation in the US aimed at reducing single-use disposable foodware. 

The “Disposable-Free Dining” ordinance will get its first hearing at the April 24 Berkeley City Council Meeting. At 3pm that same day, Mayor Jesse Arreguin, one of the authors of the legislation, will join business owners, residents, and local, state, and national nonprofits to hold a press conference at the Berkeley Recycling Yard, located at 1231 2nd Street. 

“Single-use disposable foodware is a local and global problem, one with enormous financial and environmental costs,” says Council Member Sophie Hahn, the ordinance’s co-author. “As a city striving toward Zero Waste, we do a good job with composting and recycling, but it is not enough. We need to start reducing our waste as well.” 

Berkeley’s proposed legislation builds on a wave of similar city ordinances, including in Santa Cruz, Alameda, Davis, Seattle, Ft. Myers, and Malibu, that have been passed in response to troubling global levels of plastic pollution.

Berkeley’s ordinance goes further than all prior initiatives, requiring that:

1) only reusable foodware can be used for dine-in service,

2) all takeout foodware must be approved as recyclable or compostable in the City’s collection programs,

3) food vendors charge customers $0.25 for every disposable beverage cup and $0.25 for every disposable food container provided, and

4) 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. 

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantage.com