Santa Cruz enforces environmental packaging ordinance

We’ve told you about the Santa Cruz environmental packaging ordinance in the past, and now the city will fully enforce it.

The ordinance went in place about 6 months ago. It takes aim at to-go packaging from restaurants. It requires all utensils and packaging to either be biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable in the city
. Santa Cruz gave restaurants some leeway to make the change and officials say it’s going well.

“We really deal on a complaint basis, and we very rarely get any complaints from restaurants that are out of compliance.” Bob Nelson with Santa Cruz Public Works says that most restaurants are doing a good job transferring over to environmental packaging. Restaurants officially have until Memorial Day to make the change. Nelson says they have had fines in place, but it’s not usually needed. “I think we had one restaurant that we fined 100 dollars, but then we let them use the 100 dollars to buy better materials. So, they never really paid a fine.”

Many of the restaurants in Santa Cruz were already environmentally friendly, but the ordinance is giving an extra boost. Nolan Dean is the assistant general manager at Woodstock Pizza in Santa Cruz. He says, “Well we’ve done the paper bags always. We wanted to be away from the plastic bags. Uhm, but the ordinance is definitely pushing us to get the cardboard and better to-go cups as well.”

Dean says they have always had the environment in mind. But there are some challenges. “Definitely
with our distributor getting the right materials, and the right product. And cost wise too, it’s a little more. So, definitely a little bit of a struggle.”

Keith McHenry, with ‘Food Not Bombs’ provides vegan foods to the public. He takes the ordinance a step further. “So all of our containers go into a compost bin, and none of it is wasted… we don’t have to throw any of it out.”

Residents we spoke with are proud of Santa Cruz for making the change. Salif says, “For the next generations you know. It’s not just all about us. You know, it’s also for the people who’s coming afterward.” Another resident of Santa Cruz, Kurt Walker, says, “I know some people try to make the argument that… if you’re using paper plates by yourself you’re not really making that big of a difference… But I think it really adds up.”