Ordinance Requiring Eateries and Bars to Ask Customers Before Sending Them Disposable Foodware Items Goes Before City Council Monday

The Pasadena City Council on Monday will conduct first reading of the language of a previously-approved ordinance that would require food service providers – including restaurants, bars, food trucks and convenience stores – to have customers affirmatively request for disposable accessory foodware items such as spoons, forks, knives, napkins, straws and other items before giving these out.

The ordinance will add a chapter to Title 8 of the Pasadena Municipal Code and will require restaurants and other food service providers – including third-party delivery platforms – to provide disposable accessory foodware items only when the customer requests them.

A memorandum from the City Attorney said the purpose of the ordinance is to regulate the dispensing of disposable accessory foodware items in order to reduce waste.

“This ordinance also supports the City’s adopted Green City Action Plan goals of reducing the volume of landfill waste, reducing the use of disposable product category, protecting the watershed, and helping to promote a clean and sustainable environment,” the memorandum said.

When the ordinance is in effect, Pasadenans will have a choice in opting out of receiving paper napkins, plastic knives, spoons, and forks when they order take-out or delivery food from local restaurants.

Anyone violating the ordinance, once it is in effect, may be punishable under the administrative citation procedures set forth in the Pasadena Municipal Code. Fines collected in accordance with the ordinance shall be deposited in the refuse fund to assist the Department of Public Works with the costs of implementing and enforcing ordinance requirements, the memorandum said.

A draft of the ordinance showed that third-party delivery platforms will be required to include an option in their app-based ordering process to allow customers to affirmatively request disposable accessory foodware items as a part of their delivery or takeout order.

Once the ordinance is approved, probably after second reading, it will be in effect 30 days after publication, the draft showed.