Effective January 1, 2019, food and beverage providers are prohibited from selling, vending, or serving food or beverages on/in disposable foam polystyrene (Styrofoam) food and beverage containers.
Banned & Allowed Containers
Banned and allowed styrofoam containers include:
| Food and Beverage Containers | Banned | Allowed |
|---|
| Bowls | X |
|
| Clamshells | X |
|
| Cups | X |
|
| Drink Lids |
| X |
| Egg Cartons |
| X |
| Liquid Cartons |
| X |
| Plates | X |
|
| Raw Meat Trays |
| X |
| Serving Trays | X |
|
| Splash Sticks |
| X |
| Soup Lids |
| X |
| Stir Sticks |
| X |
| Straws |
| X |
| Utensils |
| X |
Benefits
Benefits of the ban to our community include:
- Reducing waste by requiring food or beverage service ware that is readily reusable, recyclable, or compostable
- Retaining local control, rather than relying on potential State-wide regulations
- Obtaining "Trash Reduction - Source Control" credits on Annual Stormwater Report
- Further implementing the objectives of our Citywide Climate Action Plan
- Reducing human health risks associated with styrene, a chemical known to cause cancer
- Improving water quality in the Concord waterways and beyond
- Reducing the risk of harm to wildlife as polystyrene breaks apart into small pieces and is mistaken as food by birds, fish, and wildlife and does not biodegrade