During their April 27 Council meeting, the Vista City Council unanimously considered phasing out polystyrene containers by July 2023. This date would provide restaurants time to transition to other types of boxes, cups, plates and bowls and customers ordering takeout meals would have to request plastic utensils, straws, or condiment packets.
Under the proposed ordinance, all food establishments would provide plastic straws, utensils and items such as condiment packets only if requested by customers. City Council members also requested city staff to return with a draft ordinance that included a process for small, mom-and-pop restaurants to request temporary waivers to the ban on foam containers and a phased in plan. The draft ordinance for the Council’s consideration is expected to be placed on the June 22 agenda.
If the ordinance is approved, Vista will be the sixth city in San Diego County to restrict single-use plastic items. Encinitas, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, San Diego and Solana Beach have similar ordinances.
The discussion was first brought to the City Council in January 2021 with a presentation by the Oceana and Surfrider Foundation on the global and local effects of plastic pollution. The foundation was invited at the request of Councilmember Corinna Contreras and the council members approved a discussion item on single-use plastics at the March meeting.
Watch the Council Meeting Discussion on April 27, 2021 here. (Agenda item: D2)
