Resources for the Public

Single-use plastic foodware is used for a short amount of time before becoming landfill waste and environmental pollution that contain toxic chemicals.

Purpose of the Foodware Ordinance

Action sentence.

Reduce Single-Use Plastics and Other Foodware Waste

In our current society, many plastic disposable foodware items are used for just a few minutes before becoming waste. Once plastic foodware becomes waste, if unmanaged, it ends up as litter on our streets.

Keep Our Waterways Clean and Safe

Bay Area litter studies have found that food and beverage packaging make up the majority of street litter, half of which comes from fast food and take-out. Once on the street as litter, they can enter our drains to pollute our waterways, bay, ocean, and beaches.

Improve Health and Safety of Our Community Members

Once in the environment, plastics don’t just breakdown back into their original components, they just become smaller and smaller pieces of plastic – microplastics. These microplastics are now being found in the food that we eat, the air that we breath, and even in us.

Public Resources

What you can do to be part of this important effort:

Understand what the new Ordinance requires.

Read Ordinance Summary (PDF)

Request disposable accessories like straws and condiments only when absolutely needed.

Take only what you really need at self-serve stations and dispensers.

Bring and use your own reusable utensils, cups, and foodware.

Featured Initiative

Okapi reusable cup filled with a latte next to a bagel at a cafe

Okapi Reusables Pilot

The County’s Foodware Aware Team has partnered with OKAPI Reusables to launch and pilot a reusable cup network in cafes (including boba!).

OKAPI Reusables provides cafes with an easy way to offer reusable cups to-go for coffee, smoothies, and bubble tea. OKAPI provides the cups, signage, and a simple mobile app for customers to borrow and return cups. Cafés wash and sterilize the to-go cups like they would dine-in dishware.

Find and support your local participating cafes.

More information on how to participate for interested business owners.

Contact Us

Our Foodware Aware Program Team — the County’s Sustainability Department and Environmental Innovations, Inc. — are here to help you and other impacted food facilities successfully make the operational transition to meet the new requirements of the County’s Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance.

Please email foodware@smcgov.org or call 888-442-2666 to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.