On May 1, 2023, the Los Angeles County Waste Reduction Ordinance for Disposables and Expanded Polystyrene Products goes into effect, which was adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Commissioners in April 2022 to reduce waste and litter in communities and waterways while reinforcing sustainability efforts.
This regulation applies to food facilities and retail establishments located within the unincorporated areas of the County, as well as food facilities located within the facilities of the County.
Current regulations:
Require full-service restaurants to provide multi-purpose tableware (i.e., reusable tableware) for dine-in customers.
Food facilities such as restaurants, cafeterias, and food trucks located in unincorporated areas are prohibited from providing disposable tableware accessories (such as straws, forks, condiment packets, napkins, etc.) to customers unless the customer requests them.
Require online food ordering businesses to provide a selection of disposable tableware accessories on their platforms so that customers can choose which accessories, if any, are required to be packaged with their orders.
Beginning May 1, 2023, the following measures will be implemented in phases.
Require that disposable items provided to customers by food facilities, such as food containers, cups, plates and cutlery accessories, be either compostable or recyclable.
Retail sales of products made from expanded polystyrene (also known as "foam polystyrene"), such as coolers, packaging materials, disposable items (such as cups, plates and similar items) and pool toys, are prohibited unless they are packaged in durable materials.
Over the next two years, Los Angeles County will implement phased enforcement for different vendors.
Fixed-site restaurants will have one year to meet the standards, food trucks will have 18 months, and temporary food vendors such as farmers' markets or community event organizers will have two years.
Exemptions include street vendors and restaurants that can demonstrate economic hardship or inability to safely serve food in alternative packaging.
The goal of the ordinance is to phase out single-use plastics, while working with restaurants to make this transition naturally.
"After the first year of the ordinance's implementation, the county will evaluate whether additional measures are needed to support businesses in reducing single-use waste," Los Angeles County officials said.
Officials said violations could result in fines of $100 per day, up to $1,000 per year.
