Truckee Approves a Single-Use Foodware Reduction Ordinance

November 29, 2022

On November 8, 2022, the Truckee Town Council adopted a Single-Use Foodware Reduction Ordinance including the following policies:

• A ban on the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene, commonly known as styrofoam. (Effective April 1, 2023)
• Food vendors must provide reusable foodware for in-house dining. (Effective January 1, 2024)
• Food vendors must charge a $0.25 fee for each disposable takeout food container and cup provided. Vendors keep the fee revenue, and customers on WIC, EBT, or Medi-Cal are exempt from the fee. (Effective January 1, 2024)
• Accessory foodware items must only be provided if requested by the customer. This includes utensils, chopsticks, condiment cups and packets, straws, stirrers, splash sticks, cocktail sticks, napkins, cup lids, and cup sleeves. Note that some of these were already part of Assembly Bill 1276 and additions were incorporated for the local level. (Effective January 1, 2024)
• The first reading of the ordinance took place on October 25, 2022, and was unanimously supported by the Truckee Town Council. It was approved as a consent item when it returned on November 8, 2022.
• The ordinance was steered by the Single-Use Foodware Reduction Working Group, which was made up of business owners, members of the public, students, environmental advocates, and two Truckee Town Council Members. The group met six times to discuss information presented by staff on expert findings, existing policies in other jurisdictions, and experiences of implementation from other regions. The group evaluated the information to identify if any policy items could be tailored to the Truckee community.

For more information, visit Keep Truckee Green.