The city council finds and declares that:
A. As set
forth in California
Public Resources Code Section 42355, the State
Legislature recognized that littered plastic products have caused
and continue to cause significant environmental harm and have burdened
local governments with significant environmental cleanup costs.
B. Disposable
foodware accessories include, but are not limited to, foodware accessories
like utensils, condiment packets/containers, disposable plastic drinking
straws and all other single-use straws, stirrers, splash sticks, cocktail
sticks, napkins, wet-wipes, cup lids, cup sleeves, and beverage trays
designed for single-use prepared foods and beverages. These foodware
accessories are in ubiquitous use in modern society. Research indicates
that in 2016, 561 billion disposable foodware accessories were used
in the United States; these items became a total of 4.9 million tons
of waste, which represented an estimated 1.9% of the overall municipal
solid waste stream.
C. Despite
continued efforts to reduce the use of single use plastics, increase
recycling, reduce litter waste, and encourage re-use, the use of disposable
foodware accessories contributes to the 8 million tons of plastic
pollution that enter the ocean annually, while also contributing to
the litter in our communities. The International Waste Association
reports that the use and disposable foodware accessories has skyrocketed
by an estimated two hundred fifty to three hundred (250–300)
percent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
D. Due
to the significant impact disposable foodware accessories have on
the environment, the city is enacting regulations to reduce their
use except under limited circumstances necessary for health and safety.
(Ord. 5973 § 2, 2021)
“City”
means the city of Glendale.
“Condiment”
means relishes, spices, sauces, confections, or a seasoning
that requires no additional preparation and that is used on a prepared
food or beverage, including, but not limited to, ketchup, mustard,
mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, dressings, sauerkraut, salsa, soy sauce,
wasabi, ginger, hot sauce, grated cheese, syrup, jam, jelly, butter,
salt, sugar, sugar substitutes, cream, creamer, pepper, or chili pepper.
“Condiment” does not include an ingredient or component
that is an integral part of the menu item, but that a food or beverage
facility packages separately when preparing the item for a take-out
customer or delivery customer.
“Condiment packets”
mean any packaged condiment, including, but not limited to,
condiments in packets, cups, or other containers for condiments that
are sealed or re-sealable and intended for single-use.
“Customer”
means a person, the person’s agent, or the person’s
caregiver.
“Delivery customer”
means a customer who purchases a prepared food or beverage
from a food or beverage facility or third-party food delivery service
and has the prepared food or beverage delivered to them by a food
or beverage facility or third-party food delivery service.
“Dine-in customer”
means a customer who purchases prepared food or beverages
at a food or beverage facility and consumes it on the premises of
the food or beverage facility.
“Disposable”
means designed to be used once and then discarded, and not
designed for sanitizing and repeated use.
“Disposable foodware accessory”
means any type of disposable item that accompanies a prepared
food or beverage served in disposable plates, containers, or cups.
A disposable item includes, but is not limited to, utensils, condiment
packets, disposable plastic drinking straws and all other disposable
straws, stirrers, splash sticks, cocktail sticks, toothpicks, napkins,
wet-wipes, cup lids, cup sleeves, and beverage trays.
“Disposable plastic drinking straw”
means a thin, hollow tube for sucking a liquid or semi-liquid
substance that constitutes prepared food or beverages, which is designed
for a single-use and made from fossil fuel based polymers, including,
but not limited to, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene,
polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl
chloride, polycarbonate that can be molded or blown into shape while
soft and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form, and any straw
made from or labeled “bioplastic/compostable/poly-lactic acid
(PLA).”
“Drive-through customer”
means a customer who purchases prepared food or beverages
at a food or beverage facility and is provided the prepared food and/or
beverages without leaving their vehicle.
“Food or beverage facility”
means a facility located in the city that sells or otherwise
provides prepared food or beverages for consumption on or off its
premises, and includes, but is not limited to, a shop, sales outlet,
restaurant, bar, pub, coffee shop, coffee stand, juice and/or smoothie
bar, cafeteria, caterer, convenience store, liquor store, grocery
store, supermarket, delicatessen, farmers market, theater, mobile
food truck, roadside stand, kiosks, carts, or a vendor or any organization,
group, or individual that regularly provides prepared food or beverages
as part of its service.
“Large food or beverage facility”
means a food or beverage facility with more than 26 employees.
If the food or beverage facility is part of a statewide or national
food or beverage vendor, the employee count shall include all employees
of that chain.
“Online order”
means an order placed by a take-out customer or delivery
customer through an online ordering platform through which the customer
can place an order for pick-up or delivery of a prepared food or beverage.
“Online ordering platform” or “platform”
means the digital technology provided on a website or mobile
application through which a customer makes an online order from a
food or beverage facility. A platform includes one operated directly
by the food or beverage facility or third-party food delivery service,
including a telephone order, for pick-up or delivery within the city.
“Operator”
means any person in control of, or having the responsibility
for, the operation of a food or beverage facility and/or third-party
food delivery service, including any owner of the food or beverage
facility and/or third-party food delivery service.
“Person”
means a natural person, joint venture, joint stock company,
partnership, association, club, company, corporation, business trust,
or organization, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, office, or
employee of any of them.
“Prepared food or beverage”
means foods or beverages which are prepared by cooking, chopping,
slicing, mixing, freezing, squeezing, brewing, boiling, steeping,
pouring, or other processing and that require no further preparation
by the customer before consumption.
“Prepared food or beverage”
does not include raw uncooked whole fruits or vegetables
which are not chopped, squeezed, or mixed, or raw uncooked meat products.
“Request”
means any reasonable affirmation of the customer’s
intent to procure disposable foodware accessories and is not limited
to a verbal request.
“Statewide or national food or beverage vendor”
means any food or beverage facility located in the city that
is part of a chain of franchised or corporate-owned food or beverage
facilities located in the city and in more than one other jurisdiction
outside of the city.
“Take-out customer”
means a customer who purchases prepared food or beverages
from a food or beverage facility or third-party food delivery service
and consumes it off the premises of the food or beverage facility.
“Third-party food delivery service”
means any website, mobile application, or other internet
service that offers or arranges for the sale of prepared food or beverages
prepared by, and the delivery or pick-up of prepared food or beverages
from no fewer than 20 food or beverage facilities that are each owned
and operated by different persons.
“Utensil”
means a fork, spoon, spork, knife, chopstick, or other implement
used to serve a person, or to eat food.
(Ord. 5973 § 2, 2021)
The following food or beverage facilities shall be exempt from
the regulation of disposable foodware accessories: health care facilities,
as defined in Section 1250 of the California
Health and Safety Code,
and residential care facilities for the elderly, as defined in Section
1569.2 of the California
Health and Safety Code.
(Ord. 5973 § 2, 2021)
A public outreach campaign and education program will be implemented
during the 90 day period following the effective date of this chapter
regulating use of disposable foodware accessories (the “education
program”). The city manager may extend the education program
for an additional 90 day period up to 180 days. During the education
program period the city may promulgate rules and establish guidelines
for implementing and enforcing this chapter. Any such rules or guidelines
shall become effective following the completion of the education program.
The city’s sustainability officer, or his or her designee, shall
post any such rules or guidelines in an easily accessible physical
location at city hall, shall also post them on the city’s website
and provide copies to any person upon request.
(Ord. 5973 § 2, 2021)