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Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance

foodwareawarelogoOn May 4, 2020, the City of Burlingame adopted an ordinance that references the County of San Mateo's (County) Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance (Ordinance). This Ordinance aims to regulate and reduce the amount of disposable plastic foodware and other foodware waste that are used and distributed in Burlingame. The Ordinance’s implementation and enforcement start date is October 1, 2022. Education and enforcement of the Ordinance are being headed by the County of San Mateo’s Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the City of Burlingame.

The objectives of the Ordinance are to:
 - Reduce waste by eliminating disposable foodware that is not reusable or compostable;
 - Improve the health and safety of community members; and
 - Help keep our waterways clean and safe.

Who will this impact?
This Ordinance will apply to restaurants, mobile food trucks, temporary food facilities (e.g., street fairs, festivals, etc.), farmers’ markets, catering operations, private schools, and other operations that operate within the city and provide prepared food (a.k.a. ready-to-eat food and beverages) to the general public.

Key elements of the Ordinance include requiring:
1. Most disposable foodware to be non-plastic, fiber-based, and compostable;
2. Larger disposable foodware items such as bowls, plates, and clamshells need to be free of harmful perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Please note: Starting on January 1, 2023, the State will expand this requirement to ALL disposable foodware made of fiber, including accessories (e.g., straws, utensils, napkins, stirrers, etc.), paper bags, and food contact paper; and
3. The distribution of disposable foodware accessories (e.g., straws, utensils, napkins, stirrers, spill plugs, etc.) is only allowed when requested by the consumer and/or with dispensers that distribute one item at a time. Open containers/bins holding disposable accessories for consumers to grab-and-go are no longer allowed. Disposable accessories cannot be bundled together, and they must be distributed individually as separate items (e.g., each fork, spoon, straw, condiment, etc.).

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Resources Available to Impacted Food Facilities

FAQs, outreach materials (e.g., tent cards, employee guide, etc.), and other resources for food facilities are available at the County of San Mateo’s Foodware Aware Program website

Free technical assistance is available for food facilities to help meet the requirements of the Ordinance as well as go beyond the requirements and switch to reusable foodware. Up to $300 is available for food facilities who are interested in switching from disposable to reusable foodware!

Please contact the Foodware Aware Team for additional information:
 - Email foodware@smcgov.org
 - Hotline 888-442-2666