Story on Deck: How Restaurants Are Coping with City's Food Packaging Ordinance

The City Council on Tuesday, in addition to other actions, asked city staff to do some more legwork on the city's food packaging ordinance, which bans the use of disposable products containing polystyrene throughout the city.

The ordinance, which affects 150 businesses, applies to all restaurants, grocery store delis, hotels, bars, coffee shops, mobile food vendors and city facilities where food is served. And it prohibits all containers, bowls, plates, trays, cartons, cups, lids, straws and utensils with the triangular resin identification code No. 6 on the bottom.

That means the ordinance applies to establishments such as Don Pico's that serve take-out food but not to grocery stores such as Mollie Stone's that may sell Styrofoam or plastic products in their aisles. However, the deli at Mollie Stone's must comply with the ordinance.

According to the city, it seems like most establishments have done their due diligence by eliminating the use of Styrofoam in their disposable products. But as a city staff member mentioned at the council meeting, a number of businesses are still using plastic straws and utensils that don't comply with the ordinance, which is why the council has asked staff to look further into the issue.

San Bruno Patch is looking into doing a story about how restaurants are handling the city's food packaging ordinance and what their experience has been like making the change.

Stay tuned!