Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Jim Eggemeyer, Director, Office of Sustainability
Subject: Introduction of an ordinance repealing Chapters 4.106 and 4.107 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code and adopting a new Chapter 4.107 regulating the use of disposable food service ware by food facilities
RECOMMENDATION:
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Introduction of an ordinance repealing Chapters 4.106 and 4.107 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code and adopting a new Chapter 4.107 regulating the use of disposable food service ware by food facilities and waive the reading of the ordinance in its entirety.
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BACKGROUND:
In March 2011, the County of San Mateo Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 04542 prohibiting the use of polystyrene based disposable food service ware by food vendors ("Polystyrene Ban Ordinance").
Since the adoption of the Polystyrene Ban Ordinance, there has been increasing concern in the community over the impact of disposable food service ware, especially items made from plastic. Disposable food service ware, including containers, cups, lids, utensils and straws, is a major contributor to street litter, ocean pollution, marine and other wildlife endangerment, and climate change. Many plastic disposable food service ware items are used for just a few minutes before becoming waste, which lasts for hundreds or even thousands of years. Supervisor Canepa and Supervisor Horsley contacted the Office of Sustainability (OOS) and requested development of an ordinance to address these single use disposable items. In response, staff from the OOS conducted extensive research and worked closely with the County's Environmental Health Services (EHS) to develop a Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance (Ordinance) that would repeal and replace the existing Polystyrene Ban Ordinance.
The OOS completed an extensive community engagement and outreach process within unincorporated San Mateo Co...
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