Jurisdiction Information

The County of San Mateo’s (County) Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance (Ordinance) was adopted by the County’s Board of Supervisors on February 25, 2020. This new law regulates and reduces disposable food service ware made of plastic and other foodware waste. The new regulations apply to food service businesses that operate in unincorporated areas of the county and in cities that adopt the County’s Ordinance as a model ordinance.

Additional information about the Ordinance specific to different adopting jurisdictions within the County can be found below:

CASE STUDIES

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San Carlos Youth Center Case Study

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Manila Eatery Case Study

Foodware Aware Program case study at Jersey Joe's Half Moon Bay

Jersey Joe’s Half Moon Bay Case Study

Ordinance Information by Jurisdiction

	Jurisdiction with Link to Ordinance Webpage	Date Ordinance Adopted	Enforcement Start Date	Requirements that Differ from the County's Model Ordinance
1	City of Half Moon Bay	October 6, 2020	June 1, 2023: Reusables requirement July 9, 2021: All other ordinance requirements	(1) Accessories such as straws, stirrers, cup spill plugs, condiment packets, utensils, napkins, etc. shall be provided only when requested by the consumer (dispensers and self-serve areas not allowed). (2) Starting on 6/1/23, food facilities must use reusable foodware for dine-in, except for straws, stirrers, cocktail sticks/picks, toothpicks, napkins, wrappers, and liners so long as they are fiber-based, compostable.
2	County of San Mateo (unincorporated areas only)	February 25, 2020	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
3	City of South San Francisco	March 25, 2020	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
4	City of Burlingame	May 4, 2020	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
5	Town of Atherton	June 17, 2020	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
6	City of Belmont	November 25, 2020	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
7	City of Millbrae	February 23, 2021	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
8	City of Brisbane	April 15, 2021	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
9	Town of Colma	July 14, 2021	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
10	Town of Hillsborough	September 13, 2021	October 1, 2022 (previously March 25, 2022)
11	City of San Mateo	February 1, 2021	October 1, 2022
12	City of Daly City	September 13, 2021	October 1, 2022	Wherever practicable, food facilities shall provide reusable foodware in place of disposable foodware.
13	City of San Bruno	September 14, 2021	October 1, 2022
14	City of San Carlos	October 25, 2021	October 1, 2022
15	City of Pacifica	March 14, 2022	June 1, 2023: Reusables requirement October 1, 2022: All other ordinance requirements	Starting on 6/1/23, food facilities must use reusable foodware for dine-in, except for straws, stirrers, cocktail sticks/picks, toothpicks, napkins, wrappers, and liners so long as they are fiber-based, compostable.
16	City of Foster City	October 11, 2011 (City adopted County's polystyrene ban ordinance by reference in 2011, which was then automatically replaced with current County foodware ordinance)	October 1, 2022
17	City of Redwood City	October 24, 2022	October 24, 2023

Current as of March 2025. The table above will continue to be updated!

Contact Us

Our Foodware Aware Program Team – the County’s Sustainability Department and Environmental Innovations, Inc. – are here to help you and other impacted food facilities successfully make the operational transition to meet the new requirements of the County’s Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance.

Please email foodware@smcgov.org or call 888-442-2666 to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

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