Del Mar clamps down on polystyrene, single-use plastics

DEL MAR — The City Council introduced an ordinance on Monday that will require businesses to cease using polystyrene and single-use, non-compostable foodware, ban the sale of polystyrene coolers, and prohibit the use of single-use plastic water bottles and other non-compostable items at city events.

City leaders approved the ordinance in a 4-0 vote. The law will return for a second reading in January and take effect in February; however, there will be an additional six-month grace period to raise awareness among local businesses and allow time for adjustment. 

Staff said the city’s focus will be on education and outreach rather than enforcement.

“We understand that food providers may have ordered a year’s worth of forks, and we don’t want them to throw those out; we want to ensure that these businesses have ample time to order what they need to comply and understand the rules,” said Kaitlyn Elliott-Norgrove, the city’s special projects and programs manager. 

The ordinance was developed with the city’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, EDCO, and the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. 

Del Mar identifies itself as a leader in reducing waste and protecting the environment, having previously banned single-use plastic carry-out bags, plastic straws, and plastic stirrers. These changes will tighten existing regulations enacted in recent years. 

While polystyrene (sometimes known as Styrofoam) and other non-recyclable disposable food service wares are already banned in Del Mar, the ordinance now prohibits the sale of polystyrene coolers at grocery stores. 

In addition, food businesses and city-sponsored events and functions can no longer offer recyclable-only foodware and must provide compostable options. 

“The city has already successfully adopted several ordinances that prohibit various things, and we’ve got kind of an implementation plan that will be kind of the starting point,” said City Manager Ashley Jones. 

Del Mar’s solid waste service provider, EDCO, operates an anaerobic digestion facility that converts compostable materials into renewable gas to power the company’s waste collection vehicles. The digester cannot process non-compostable or contaminated items, and cleaning up these materials can be costly for EDCO, staff said.

“To the lay person, these key changes are to, again, reduce items that are not compatible with our solid waste provider’s anaerobic digester,” Elliott-Norgrove said. 

Further complicating matters, some items marked as “compostable” or “biodegradable” may be better for the environment but can’t be processed by the anaerobic digester. This includes items such as “compostable” plastic silverware or corn starch-based shopping bags, said EDCO General Manager Dawn Cox. 

Non-food items that can be composted through EDCO include 100% wood utensils, bamboo utensils and plates, food-soiled paper and cardboard, and plain brown paper bags, provided none of the items are treated with bioplastics or waxes.

Several residents spoke in support of the ordinance, including members of the Sustainability Advisory Committee and adults and youth involved in Surfrider Foundation. 

Hailey Saavedra, a junior at La Jolla Country Day School and Surfrider club member, said reducing long-lasting plastic and polystyrene waste is crucial to protecting marine wildlife and reducing the release of harmful chemicals. She thanked the city for being willing to make local changes.

“I also think this ordinance sends a powerful message to young people. It tells us that our leaders care about our future and are willing to act now instead of waiting until the problem is worse,” Saavedra said. 

Karl Willert, president of the Del Mar Farmer’s Market and spouse of Mayor Terry Gaasterland, said he supported the ordinance, but raised some concerns about unintended negative impacts at the weekly market at the Del Mar Civic Center. 

He noted that additional requirements for packaging and utensils will raise costs for vendors and farmers, who already operate on tight margins. In addition, he said it’s already challenging to get people to dispose of their waste, recycling, and compostable items in the correct bins. 

“I’m concerned that compliance will be hard, if not impossible, to achieve,” Willert said. 

Leaders recognized that it will take work to achieve compliance, but said both Del Mar and EDCO will continue to do their part to educate residents and visitors, including clear signage above bins, education from local students, and information in newsletters and bills. 

Assistant City Manager Clem Brown said it will require multiple touchpoints to encourage people to place items in the correct bins in public places. In the long run, making truly compostable items will be the best way to reduce confusion for residents, he said. 

Councilmember Tracy Martinez — who was also appointed as the city’s mayor for 2026 — said she would be in favor of also banning the sale of plastic drinkware such as cups and water bottles in the city.  

“In the liquor stores and things like that, people buy beverages, and a lot of them head down to the beach. So, I would like our council at least to think about adding that to our ordinance,” Martinez said. 

City Manager Ashley Jones said she is not aware of other cities that ban the sale of plastic cups. She said staff can look into this, but it would require much more communication with local markets and liquor stores that sell these items. 

Martinez also noted that many businesses are not members of the Del Mar Village Association, and some have only trash cans, with no recycling or composting options. 

The adopted changes mirror changes made this year in Coronado, which also contracts with EDCO. The cities of Oceanside, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Vista have varying restrictions on the use of compostable and recyclable foodware. 

According to data collected by the Surfrider Foundation, food containers must be reusable or compostable in Carlsbad, Coronado, Solana Beach, and, soon, Del Mar, but not in Encinitas or Vista. However, Encinitas joins other cities in prohibiting plastic utensils, straws, and stirrers.