Restaurants, Others to Hand Out Plasticware Only on Request
Starting August 1, the City will require food service providers to distribute disposable takeout items only if requested by the customer. This means customers ordering takeout meals will not automatically receive plastic utensils, including plastic stirrers, cutlery, condiment packages, and straws. Food service providers include restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, drive-thrus, grocery and convenience stores, and farmers’ markets.
Beginning July, 2023, Polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, takeout containers will be prohibited. Small businesses with gross annual receipts less than $1 million will have the ability to apply for a hardship waiver for up to 12 months. The City has set a citywide waste reduction and recycling goal of 85% waste diversion by 2030, which aligns with the State of California’s diversion rate mandate.
This new ordinance help with the state goal and reduce plastic use and waste, shift businesses and consumers to a more reusable mind state, and reduce litter scattered throughout the city from these single use plastics.
WHAT A BUSINESS NEEDS TO DO
As a business, you will need to start looking for ways to phase out polystyrene products. The City of Vista is developing an outreach campaign that will focus on education regarding sustainable alternatives to Styrofoam, encouraging businesses to collaborate to receive discounts for buying in bulk, and plastic reduction incentive programs.
