Berkeley’s 25-cent disposable cup fee encourages reusables, faces compliance challenges
Martin Bourque, a LeaderSpring Class of 2008 East Bay Fellow, serves as the Executive Director of the Ecology Center in Berkeley. In 2019, Bourque played a pivotal role in advocating for Berkeley's Disposable-Free Dining Ordinance, which was designed to significantly reduce single-use disposable foodware and encourage the use of reusable alternatives. The ordinance includes measures such as requiring restaurants to provide reusable foodware for on-site dining, charging a 25-cent fee for disposable cups, and ensuring that all takeout containers are compostable.
Bourque emphasized that recycling alone is insufficient to address the challenges posed by disposable foodware. He noted that with changes in recycling markets, particularly China's ban on importing plastic scrap, cities are now incurring costs to manage these materials. Bourque stated, "Most of the single-use plastic foodware has no value in today's recycling markets. With China's ban on importing plastic scrap, cities are actually paying to get rid of it."
The ordinance faced initial concerns from local business owners about potential financial impacts. Stuart Baker, executive director of the Telegraph Business Improvement District, expressed worries that increased costs could affect consumer spending. He remarked, "Everyone is excited about doing something about the environment—and then the food price goes up but the student doesn’t make the connection and stops eating out and business goes down. That's a concern."
Despite these concerns, the ordinance passed unanimously, reflecting Berkeley's commitment to environmental sustainability. Mayor Jesse Arreguin hailed it as a historic step, stating, "Berkeley passes the most ambitious groundbreaking policy to reduce throw-away foodware in the nation."
The implementation of this ordinance positions Berkeley as a leader in waste reduction and serves as a model for other cities aiming to address the environmental challenges associated with single-use disposable foodware.
Learn more about Ecology Center: https://ecologycenter.org/
