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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

PUBLIC NOTICES

Ordinance Information by Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction with Link to Ordinance WebpageDate Ordinance AdoptedEnforcement Start DateRequirements that Differ from the County's Model Ordinance
1City of Half Moon BayOctober 6, 2020June 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.
2County of San Mateo (unincorporated areas only)February 25, 2020October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
3City of South San FranciscoMarch 25, 2020October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
4City of BurlingameMay 4, 2020October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
5Town of AthertonJune 17, 2020October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
6City of BelmontNovember 25, 2020October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
7City of MillbraeFebruary 23, 2021October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
8City of BrisbaneApril 15, 2021October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
9Town of ColmaJuly 14, 2021October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
10Town of HillsboroughSeptember 13, 2021October 1, 2022
(previously March 25, 2022)
11City of San MateoFebruary 1, 2021October 1, 2022
12City of Daly CitySeptember 13, 2021October 1, 2022Wherever practicable, food facilities shall provide reusable foodware in place of disposable foodware.
13City of San BrunoSeptember 14, 2021October 1, 2022
14City of San CarlosOctober 25, 2021October 1, 2022
15City of PacificaMarch 14, 2022June 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.
16City of Foster CityOctober 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
17City of Redwood CityOctober 24, 2022October 24, 2023

Current as of November 2024. 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.