Plastics are having a huge impact on our environment. Every day, we hear more stories about how they are accumulating in our oceans and causing harm to animals and humans alike. 

The City of Palm Springs is launching an initiative to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics across the City.  The initial focus will be on promoting reusable food ware and reducing single-use plastic food ware waste. This website will be updated with links to program information, incentives, and technical resources as they become available.

The City of Palm Springs Office of Sustainability held an informational webinar on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 on the "new" Food Ware and Food Waste Requirements for 2022. You can view the webinar HERE which provides an overview of the Food Ware Ordinance, technical and financial assistance opportunities, and waiver information. We also covered the State requirements associated with food waste management and recycling.

View the presentation HERE.

View the Food Ware Fact Sheet HERE. (English and Spanish)

View the Food Ware Scholarship form HERE. (English and Spanish)

View the Food Ware Exemption Request form HERE. (English and Spanish)

View the Food Ware Compliance Guide HERE. (English and Spanish)

City Council Approves Food Ware Ordinance

On May 6, 2021, the Palm Springs City Council voted unanimously to approve a draft ordinance to promote reusable food ware and reduce single-use plastic waste. The draft ordinance was revised and presented to Council on June 24, 2021, and was again approved unanimously with minor changes. The final version was passed by Council on July 8, 2021. 

View the Ordinance HERE. 

Important things to know include the following:

• The ordinance applies to restaurants, bars, and other places that prepare and serve food/beverages.
• The ordinance has a broad prohibition on polystyrene foam and rigid forms of polystyrene food ware that will affect retailers as well as food vendors. 
• The ordinance phases in compostable, fiber-based food ware and accessories. In 2023, all disposable food service ware and accessories will need to be fiber-based compostable and larger food ware items such as bowls, cups, and containers will need to be Certified compostable. 

The list below summarizes the key components and timing.

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

• Prepared Food Vendors may not provide any items containing rigid or foam polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) products. No person or retailer may sell food ware products containing Polystyrene.
• Non-reusable straws and stirrers cannot be made of plastic – regular plastic or “compostable” plastic – and are available only on customer request or on affirmative response to a vendor inquiry.
• Single-use plastic bags cannot be used for take-out or take-home orders.
• For on-site dining, reusable Food Service Ware Items must be used, which include: plates, glassware, cups, trays, baskets, and cutlery.
• A limited number of non-reusable Food Service Ware Accessory items can be used for on-site dining include: paper or foil wraps, sleeves and bags, paper napkins and paper tray liners.
• For on-site dining, condiments must be provided in reusable containers, bulk dispensers or non-plastic packaging.
• The following Food Service Ware Accessory items for takeout can only be provided upon customer request or an affirmative response to a vendor’s inquiry: utensils, straws, stirrers, napkins, etc.
• Prepared Food Vendors should allow for the use of customer-supplied Reusable Food Service Ware consistent with the California Food Retail Code, unless the item provided appears to be soiled or inappropriate in size.

 Effective Date: January 1, 2023

• The following Non-reusable Food Service Ware must be made of certified Fiber-based Compostable materials: plates, bowls, cups, clamshells, boxes, deli containers and other containers used for the sale and/or distribution of prepared food. 

The following signage has been developed as a resource for businesses.

View the "Food Ware Ordinance" signage HERE. (English and Spanish)

View "Upon Request Only" signage HERE. (English and Spanish)

View "Please Take Only What You Need" signage HERE. (English and Spanish)

View the "What Does the Food Ware Ordinance Mean to Me" flyer HERE. (English and Spanish)

View "No Sale of Polystyrene" signage HERE. (English and Spanish)

 View the three (3) stream LANDFILL Container signage HERE

 View the three (3) stream RECYCLING Container signage HERE

 View the three (3) stream COMPOST Container signage HERE

Resources for Food Vendors

The City of Palm Springs is offering Sustainability Scholarships to assist businesses with compliance of the Food Ware Ordinance. 

Some examples of the types of things that will be funded are:

Procurement of Products for Compliance to Food Ware Ordinance

• Reusable food service ware (plates, glassware, cups, trays, baskets, cutlery, linens)
• Equipment to wash and sanitize reusable food service ware and/or linens
• Purchase of approved disposable food ware for takeout and delivery to avoid use of polystyrene
• Bulk dispensers for condiments
• Participation in Reusable Food Service Ware Pilot Program when operational (Reusable food service ware which is delivered to your restaurant for takeout/delivery orders, collected, washed and returned for reuse.)

Resources:

• Food Ware Ordinance 2045 
• Food Ware Fact Sheet - English
• Food Ware Fact Sheet - Spanish
• Food Ware Scholarship Application - English and Spanish
• Food Ware Exemption Request Form - English and Spanish

Please see the link below of a list of acceptable disposable products and vendor contact information.  This product list was last updated in June 2022. 

Product List

The City of Palm Springs has enlisted support from Abbe & Associates and ReCreate Waste Collaborative to provide technical assistance to food vendors in Palm Springs that must comply with the new Food Ware ordinance and with the food waste requirements of SB 1383. Businesses can get help with facility assessments, research on substitute products, cost/benefit analysis, and assistance with reusable alternatives. 

Single-use Plastics in the Age of COVID-19

Some questions have been raised recently about whether or not reusable bags, cups, and containers, which are often used in place of single-use plastics, should be used in light of the spread of the Coronavirus. Although there is evidence that the Coronavirus does linger on some surfaces for up to three days, the Center for Disease Control has downplayed the risk of surface transmission on the “How it Spreads” page. Specifically, they note that touching surfaces and touching your face “is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.” Washing your hands with soap and warm water or using a hand sanitizer when you touch surfaces that may be contaminated can help reduce this risk. This position has only been strengthened by more recent studies on actual case transmission.

Although residents should wash or disinfect their reusable bags and containers regularly, we are recommending that you wash or disinfect your bags and containers after each use using soap and warm water or a disinfectant. This, along with hand washing, will help further reduce the possibility of surface transmission of the Coronavirus or any other surface-born pathogen.

Unfortunately, out of extreme caution, many cities and states, including California and Palm Springs, suspended their bans on single-use plastic bags to provide people with additional options during the pandemic. However, based on this new information and following the State's lead, the City will resume enforcement of its ban on single-use plastics (Municipal Code 6.09) and encouraging businesses to allow customers to use reusable bags when they bag their own items. 

Please check the CDC's website for more information about how to protect yourself and your family. Read more about what 125 health professionals say about reusables at this website. 

Plastic Straw and Styrofoam Pollution

The fourth grade class at the Desert Learning Center in Palm Springs along with their teacher, Ms Yada, have produced two Public Service Announcements (PSA) on the dangers of plastic straw and Styrofoam pollution in an effort to save sea turtles. The PSA's were shown to members of the Sustainability Commission and City Council along with presentations from the students. The Sustainability Commission is currently looking at this subject and appreciates the work these students have done. The link below will take you to a news story about the PSA the students developed:

https://nbcpalmsprings.com/2018/12/05/fourth-grade-class-urges-palm-springs-city-council-to-skip-the-straw/ 

The links below will take you to the PSA's, although you will  need to get permission to access them:

https://drive.google.com/a/psusd.us/file/d/1_V8opnq5hF6hCcTi9Q5MiR-zlv3VrXH5/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/a/psusd.us/file/d/1BOpcKlTLTRHyqXqo3O6k4Q9jn_aSpNOy/view?usp=drivesdk