Palo Alto OKs ban on straws, produce bags, other plastics

Palo Alto became the first city in the region on Monday night to ban produce bags from grocery stores and farmers’ markets. It’s one part of a new ordinance seeking to curb plastic waste, and more restrictions are in the works.

The ordinance will ban plastic straws, utensils and stirrers, requiring restaurants to find reusable or compostable alternatives. Grocery stores and farmers’ markets will need to replace plastic produce and meat bags with compostable versions or not use bags at all.

The new rules for disposable food ware take effect Jan. 1, while the produce bag ban goes into effect July 1, 2020.

Berkeley passed tough restrictions on disposable food ware in January. That city’s new law requires takeout cups, straws, cartons and utensils to be compostable; makes restaurants charge customers 25 cents per disposable cup; and mandates reusable dishes and silverware at dine-in restaurants.

Other cities in the region, including San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Alameda, have banned plastic takeout con

tainers and utensils. California banned plastic bags in 2014. Last year, the state required restaurants to offer plastic straws only by request .

For Palo Alto, this wave of bans is the first of three phases outlined in the ordinance passed Monday. Phase two would require restaurants to charge for disposable cups and containers as well as reusable dishes for dine-in customers — it’s planned for 2021. Phase three, scheduled for 2025, would ban single-use containers and make restaurants provide reusable containers for to-go orders.