The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted today in favor of a ban on the use and sale of polystyrene food and beverage containers by food vendors in unincorporated areas.
The county’s ordinance is set to begin May 1, 2020, allowing a six-month grace period for compliance, and it includes one-year exemptions for businesses claiming hardships under limited circumstances, according to County staff.
In the county, 10 of 19 cities and towns already have similar bans on polystyrene, also called Styrofoam, including Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, Hercules and Pinole.
Polystyrene cannot be recycled or composted and the material often ends up as litter that ends up in waterways, officials say.
