Santa Cruz Gets Tough With Styrofoam Ban
New rule closes loopholes left in by neighboring Capitola
Story by Curtis Cartier
Santa Cruz officials are praying to the gods of biodegradable packaging that restaurants take the Aug. 12 ban on Styrofoam more seriously than their neighbors in Capitola.
The ban–approved in January by the City Council–prohibits any food provider from using Styrofoam and mandates all disposable food packaging be biodegradable, compostable or recyclable.
“We’re really hoping the community steps up and enforces the law themselves,” says Public Works Operations Manager Mary Arman. “We’re not hiring extra staff to enforce the law, but we expect people to report on those who aren’t complying, and then we’ll try and work with them.”
When it comes to enforcement in Santa Cruz, veteran Waste Reduction Manager Chris Moran will be responsible for contacting offenders and delivering citations if they don’t comply.
Capitola banned Styrofoam in December of 2006, but got off to a bad start when the enforcement of the law fell to Lisa Murphy, a lone and overworked part-time city manager’s assistant who couldn’t keep up with the foam abusers. A loophole in the Capitola ban allowed businesses to keep using Styrofoam if a replacement product was too expensive.
Today, things are looking up, as the eight of the 12 Capitola restaurants that had ducked the law for the first year have now flushed foam in favor of biodegradable packaging.
“I think our system has gotten better and people are starting to comply when I ask them to,” Murphy said. “There are still a few that aren’t complying, but I’m trying to work with them and get them on track.”
Arman says Santa Cruz has learned from Capitola’s rough ride and will have a
“no exceptions” policy on Styrofoam once the ban goes into effect. Some items like plastic lids and plastic utensils, which are scarce to find in eco-friendly form, however, are allowed under the law but may be axed by the city once a steady source of green alternatives is found.
Save Our Shores Program Coordinator and local enviromaniac Aleah Lawrence-Pine said the Santa Cruz ban is miles ahead of Capitola’s and called it a “huge step” in the right direction.
“I think when you write a law that has a lot of loopholes in it, it sends the wrong message,” she says. “(Santa Cruz’) ban shows that the city is serious, and I think people will realize that.”
The law comes two months ahead of a countywide ban on Styrofoam that begins Oct. 8. And with Watsonville and Scotts Valley putting plans in the works to ban the toxic material as well, the latest rule should be an important step toward keeping Santa Cruz County the gorgeous strip of paradise it is.
Dustin MacDonald, chair of the Santa Cruz chapter of Surfrider Foundation, told Nuz that when the Capitola, Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County bans combine, the effect will be much like summoning Captain Planet.
“Once all three bans are in effect they will be incredibly powerful,” says Macdonald. “Polystyrene foam is the worst trash for near-shore environments, right behind cigarette butts because they break into hundreds of little pieces and are extremely hard to clean up.”
Fines for non-compliance begin at $100, and a list of local green product suppliers can be found at the city’s Web site www.ci.santacruz.ca.us.
