Plastic Waste Reduction Ordinance

Single Use is Rubbish 
Much of this material ends up in local landfills or even worse, as litter that creeps into waterways which flow to Los Angeles County beaches and the Pacific Ocean.

• In 2016, the U.S. generated more plastic trash than any other country—46.3 million tons of it, according to a 2020 study published in Science Advances. That's 287 pounds per person in a single year! 

• Plastic production is expected to more than double by 2050, and even if it doesn't, the plastic trash that people continue to throw away will still have to go somewhere (Consumer Reports). 

• The problem with plastic recycling is that it is expensive to collect and sort. There are now thousands of different types of plastic, and none of them can be melted down together. Plastic also degrades after one or two uses.   

Plastic is Toxic If it Persists in the Environment

• By the time these disposable products are in your hands, they've already taken a toll on the planet: Plastics are mostly made from fossil fuels, in an energy-intensive process that emits greenhouse gases and creates often hazardous chemicals.  

• Millions of tons of plastic floats in the ocean in giant islands of plastic trash.

• While it floats and degrades, the plastic leaches marine-toxic chemicals into the water (MarineSafe).

• Unknown quantities have broken down into tiny toxic microplastic particles that act in the same way as micro beads, attracting and binding other pollutants and making themselves more toxic in the process. 

• Greenpeace found the more plastic is reused the more toxic it becomes (NPR).

How businesses benefit 
Reducing the quantities of single-use items provided to customers saves money. Policies like AB 1276 ("upon request" accessories) also puts all food service businesses on the same playing field to ease customer concerns or confusion. 

Banning PFAS in Food Ware: 
AB 1200 and AB 1201 are new California laws that prohibit the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging and goods marked as compostable as of Jan. 1, 2025. PFAS, dubbed “forever chemicals,” are synthetic molecules that don’t break down in the environment and are linked as contributors to a host of health issues. The new law also requires manufacturers of such packaging to use “the least toxic alternative” when replacing PFAS.

Better Food Ware Options:  
Single-use plastic items use more water, energy and resources to produce than what would be needed to wash reusable items. Businesses can do their part now in reducing this waste by starting to make the transition away from polystyrene and other unrecyclable takeout ware. Ask your current supplier about more sustainable alternatives. 

Resources for Transitioning to Reusables and More Sustainable Options

• UPSTREAM:  Reuse is a Climate Change and Plastics Solution Business Directory
• Plastic Pollution Coalition’s UP Scorecard 
• Find BPI-Certified suppliers and vendors
• Grants! Plastic Free Restaurants has grants to subsidize the costs of transitioning to reusables
• Rethink Disposables
• Reusables LA Coalition A coalition of regional environmental groups working to build a thriving culture of reuse and refill in Los Angeles to reduce waste from single-use plastic products and packaging as a model for communities to replicate.

Encourage Customers to BYO (Bring Your Own) 

• Offer discounts to provide incentives 
• Containers for leftovers  
• Cups for refilling

Make sure you communicate to your customers all the sustainable efforts your business is making. It also helps to keep your employees motivated and establish consistent operating procedures.