City of Carlsbad’s New Ban on Single Use Plastics

The City of Carlsbad is making new efforts to move toward a more sustainable Carlsbad by reducing plastic waste, keeping downtown clean, protecting our beaches and staying safe on the trails. 

“Skip the stuff” to reduce plastic waste

The City Council approved a new city law Tuesday aimed at reducing the amount of unused and unwanted single-use plastics that end up in landfills each year when people get food to go.

• Starting June 1, 2022 restaurants and food delivery services in Carlsbad must only provide single-use plastic food ware like straws, utensils and condiment packets on request. This new law is based on a state mandate commonly called “Skip the Stuff.”
• The city is going above and beyond the state requirement by also enacting a citywide ban on single-use plastic food ware and polystyrene containers. This will take effect July 1, but we’re giving businesses a year to transition materials until enforcement begins.

Why it’s important

Offering plastic food ware items only when requested will reduce waste and save businesses money:

• Keeps 1,196 tons of these materials out of the landfill each year
• Reduces Carlsbad’s overall waste stream by 3%
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 0.73%, which is the equivalent of 369 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or 6,101 tree seedlings grown for 10 years

Of course, stopping their use altogether will have even greater benefits, and we’ll be working with our local foodservice businesses over the next year to make this happen.

More changes coming

The new ordinance is part of a sustainability implementation plan approved by the City Council in December 2021. Future initiatives include:

• July 2022: Organic materials recycling begins (food scraps, yard waste, etc.)
• July 2023: A ban on the use of plastic beverage bottles for city facilities and city-affiliated events
• July 2023: A ban on intentionally releasing balloons, like people do sometimes at celebrations and events
• July 2023: Retail plastic bag ban
• July 2024: Food establishment plastic bag ban