New rule changes Santa Cruz Co. restaurants carry-out products

Norma Jean’s Coffee in Aptos is one of many food service businesses in unincorporated Santa Cruz County now having to use sustainable products for packing its food and drinks.

“Our ice drink cups and the straws are biodegradable,” said Norma Jean’s barista Alexis Krobec. “I think it’s good that we have to use biodegradable things.”

The County Board of Supervisors passed the new rule to protect the environment and reduce litter. That means no plastic straws or stir sticks allowed. All cutlery and containers have to be recyclable or compostable.

“If the restaurants are going to take the necessary steps to do that then hopefully people can learn in their own home environments as well to do that a little better,” said Aptos resident Todd Rudy.

While restaurants agree the change is good, for some, the transition has been costly and not as smooth.

“I don’t know if it’s necessarily fair to make small businesses switch so soon because we’re not making as much as corporate businesses and stuff like that,” said Krobec.

The coffee shop also said it may have to raise prices to adjust for the new rules.

Locals we talked with said they’d pay more if it means reducing their carbon footprint.

“It’s just really deferring the cost from the restaurant out to the environment where all of us have to pay for it in any case,” said Jack Hunt of Aptos. “We should pay for it.”

The rules also apply to grocery stores, farmers markets and food trucks.