Our chapter is actively encouraging the City of Oceanside to pass a comprehensive plastics reduction ordinance to ban expanded polystyrene foam and limit other disposable plastics.
The City of San Diego recently enacted a plastics reduction ordinance that can serve as a model for Oceanside. The San Diego plastics reduction ordinance includes a ban of expanded polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) containers at restaurants along with a requirement for restaurants to only offer straws upon request and utensils for takeout orders only upon request. The ordinance also includes a retail ban on coolers, beach toys, egg cartons, food service ware (plates, cups, etc), or food trays made, in whole or in part, from polystyrene foam that is not wholly encapsulated or encased within a non-polystyrene foam material. (Those flimsy white foam coolers that easily break into smaller pieces are out, but the durable Igloo-type coolers are still allowed.)
https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/pf-ban
Relevant Posts & Updates
Plastic Pollution
Our chapter has multiple committees dedicated to the Surfrider Plastic Pollution Initiative. These include a countywide Beach Cleanup program, the Rise Above Plastics (RAP) committee, the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program, and a campaign to end cigarette butt litter - Ban the Butt.
End Plastic Pollution