Sherman Oaks Eateries To Serve Plastic Utensils By Request Only

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday approved an ordinance that would bar restaurants from giving out plastic utensils, napkins and other disposable foodware unless requested by the customer.

The move aims to reduce plastic waste while also help restaurants trying to recover from the pandemic by cutting their costs. According to Councilman Paul Koretez, who introduced the measure with Councilman Paul Krekorian, restaurants that have already switched to by- request utensils have saved between $3,000 and $21,000 per year.

The ordinance, approved unanimously by the City Council Wednesday, follows a similar ban on straws enacted countywide in recent years.

The ordinance will require Mayor Eric Garcetti's approval to go into effect. It would apply to eateries with more than 26 employees starting on Nov. 15, 2021. Then, next year on April 22, 2022, it would apply to all food and beverage facilities. Restaurants that hand out disposable utensils in violation of the ordinance would receive a written notice for the first two violations. After that. they would face a $25 fine for each subsequent violation. The fines would be capped at $300 per calendar year.

Garcetti has already voiced his support for the ordinance. He endorsed it during his State of the City address on Monday and went a step further in calling for a citywide ban on Styrofoam.

In addition to only giving out disposable utensils upon request, the ordinance would prohibit facilities from having self-service disposable foodware dispensers and from providing or offering disposable foodware accessories to dine-in customers and take-out customers, except when requested. l.

Koretz previously called the switch to on-request-only utensils an "easy, common-sense requirement that we hope will help restaurants save money, help the city save money from unnecessary trash cleanups in our neighborhoods and help stop piling unused stuff in our already teeming landfills."

"Knowing that fossil fuels go into producing each fork and knife and that trees are used to produce napkins makes me crazy when I'm just throwing them away," he said in a statement after introducing the motion on Jan. 13.

A report from the International Waste Association estimated that the amount of wasted single-use foodware and accessory items has increased about 250% to 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people pick up food and dine at home.

"The casual disposal of tons of plastic utensils has severely affected our beautiful coastline," Krekorian said in a statement after introducing the motion in January. "This action will help us gain a measure of control over what has become an environmental catastrophe."

The motion was praised by Andrea Leon-Grossman, who serves as climate action director for the environmental justice organization Azul, which focuses on ocean stewardship.

"Single-use waste is an environmental justice issue that needs to be addressed at the source," Leon-Grossman said in January. "We commend the L.A. City Council for introducing the motion to reduce waste by enacting an `opt-in' model and look forward to working with the city to implement solutions that will help our city be more sustainable and equitable."

The move to ban the automatic distribution of plastic foodware was also praised by activists with the Surfrider Foundation and Heal The Bay.

"This motion represents a small but critical step in the city's effort to confront the nexus of plastic pollution, public health and climate justice," Surfrider Foundation Los Angeles Manager Graham Hamilton said.

Emily Parker, coastal and marine scientist for Heal the Bay, shared concerns about the increase in single-use plastics during the pandemic.

"Switching to an `upon request' model for to-go accessories like utensils and straws -- items that are often unwanted and unused -- reduces unnecessary, harmful plastic waste and saves restaurants money," she said.

The ordinance is similar to the city's straws-on-request law that went into effect on April 22, 2019. That law bans all Los Angeles restaurants from automatically giving customers plastic straws.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.