Jurisdictions in Sonoma County have adopted local ordinances to ban the sale of certain polystyrene foam products and limit the use of non-recyclable or non-compostable disposable food ware, and food ware containing fluorinated chemicals (PFAS). Accessory items and condiments are required to be provided only upon customer request or via self-serve stations.
In the jurisdictions where the model ordinance is adopted, the ordinance applies to those who sell or distribute disposable food ware and other specified products including food and beverage providers, retailers, and special events. For example:
Fluorinated chemicals are synthetic chemicals commonly used in disposable food service ware, including compostable paperboard containers, to repel water and grease. These chemicals pose a public health risk as they have been linked to serious health effects including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disruption, delayed puberty, and obesity. To verify that natural fiber-based food service ware is free of PFAS, they will need to be certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or another party approved by Zero Waste Sonoma. To read a recent study examining the persistence, accumulation potential, and hazards of this chemical class, click here. For a list of PFAS-free consumer products, click here.
By customer request only.
By customer request only.
By customer request only.
Replacements for polystyrene foam-based and disposal food ware products may be more expensive than their traditional counterparts. Food service vendors may choose to charge a separate fee of $0.25 for compliant to-go packaging and products to help recoup the costs.
Encouraging your customers to bring their own containers both reduces waste and saves money. The ordinance encourages, but does not require, food service vendors to provide a $0.25 rebate to customers who bring their own clean, reusable to-go containers, cups, or travel mugs.
A limited time grant of $300 per establishment is available as reimbursement for costs of reusable alternatives to food ware and food service related items. More info available here.
The City Manager, or designee, has primary responsibility and will be looking for good-faith effort from affected entities.
Restricting the use of polystyrene foam and disposable food service ware reduces landfill waste generated by businesses and consumers reduces litter escaping into the natural environment, waterways, and ocean.
The model ordinance has been considered and adopted individually by every jurisdiction in Sonoma County, with some variation. Please confirm specific requirements within your jurisdiction by clicking the links on the table to the right to review the respective municipal codes.
| Jurisdiction
(municipal code linked) | Ordinance Modifications | Effective |
| Cloverdale | Model Ordinance excluding PFAS amendment | Yes |
| Cotati | Model Ordinance Adopted | Yes |
| Healdsburg | Model Ordinance Adopted | Yes |
| Petaluma | Currently only prohibiting the sale/use of polystyrene foam | Yes |
| Rohnert Park | Model Ordinance Adopted | Yes |
Polystyrene Foam and PFAS in food ware are banned. Plus:
| Yes | |
| Sebastopol | Model Ordinance plus additional requirements:
| Yes |
| Sonoma | Model Ordinance Adopted | Yes |
| Windsor | Model Ordinance Adopted | Yes |
| County of Sonoma | Model Ordinance Adopted | Yes |
The following ordinance overview flyer is provided in English and Spanish language. Click on the image to download the .pdf
Additional educational resources are available on our Downloads & Graphics page.
Compostable means products made entirely from natural plant fibers such as paper, bamboo, wood, sugarcane, and wheat. These products must be accepted at the industrial or municipal facilities that aerobically compost Sonoma County’s food scraps and yard debris. For the purposes of this ordinance, products that contain or are coated with plastic polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) or polyethylene (PE) are not compostable.
City/County/Town contractors and lessees means any person or entity that has a contract with the City/County/Town for works or improvements to be performed, for a franchise, concession or lease of property, for grant monies or goods and services or supplies to be purchased at the expense of the City/County/Town.
PFAS means a class of fluorinated organic compounds containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom, also known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Disposable food service ware are designed for one-time use and include service ware for take-out foods and/or leftovers from partially consumed meals prepared by food providers.
Examples of disposable food service ware:
*Lids as referred to in the ordinance requirements refer only to beverage container lids
Food providers means any vendor, business, organization, entity, group or individual, and including retail food establishments, located or providing food within the City/County/Town that offers food or beverage to the public.
Polystyrene foam means blown polystyrene foam and expanded and extruded foams (sometimes called StyrofoamTM) which are thermoplastic, petrochemical materials utilizing a styrene monomer and processed by any number of techniques including, but not limited to, fusion of polymer spheres (expandable bead polystyrene), injection molding, foam molding, and extrusion-blown molding (extruded foam polystyrene). Polystyrene foam is generally used to make cups, bowls, plates, trays, clamshell containers, meat trays and egg cartons.
Prepared food means food or beverages prepared for consumption on the food provider’s premises or within the City, using any cooking or food preparation technique. Prepared food includes food prepared for consumption off the food provider’s premises, also known as “take-out food.”
Recyclable means material that can be sorted, cleansed, and reconstituted using recycling collection programs available in Sonoma County for the purpose of using the altered form in the manufacture of a new product. Recycling does not include burning, incinerating, converting, or otherwise thermally destroying solid waste.
Retail vendor means any store or other business that sells goods or merchandise located or operating within the City/County/Town,
Reusable means materials that will be used more than once in its same form by the customer, retail vendor or other reuse program. Reusable food service ware includes: food and beverage containers, packages and trays, such as, but not limited to, soft drink bottles and milk containers that are designed to be returned to the distributor or reused by the customer and that are provided as take-out containers. Reusable also includes durable containers, packages or trays used on-premises, returnable containers brought back to the food vendor and those intended to be taken home by the consumer for reuse, including all containers, bowls, plates, trays, cartons, cups, and other items that are designed for prolonged use, including, but not limited to, durable plastic, ceramic, glass, porcelain, and metal food service ware.
Special event promoters means an applicant for any special event permit issued by the City/County/Town , or any City/County/Townemployee(s) responsible for any organized special event in the City/County/Town .
AB 619 was signed by the governor on July 12, 2019 and sets standards for handling customer-provided reusable food and drink containers for food service vendors, including food trucks.
Food and beverage providers should develop protocols for customer refilling, or a contamination-free transfer process for employees handling clean, consumer-owned containers as needed. These procedures should be documented in the business SOPs in alignment with the 2022 CalCode.
In Cloverdale, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and unincorporated Sonoma County, food and beverage establishments are required to use fiber only compostable or recyclable plastic or aluminum service ware, and only distribute straws, beverage lids, utensils, and condiment packets on request. Retailers are prohibited from selling products comprised of polystyrene foam, such as coolers, cups, plates, bowls, other food containers, and packaging materials. Please use this form to report an establishment violating these ordinance terms.
