Redondo Beach Approves Ban On Single-Use Plastics

REDONDO BEACH, CA — Redondo Beach is one step closer to banning single-use plastic products, such as utensils and straws, and Styrofoam takeout containers from being sold and distributed in the city.

The City Council passed the ordinance 4-1 at a Tuesday meeting, but it will still require a second reading before going into effect.

The proposed ordinance includes a ban on polystyrene products and single-use plastic products such as straws, utensils and stirrers, and certain balloons such as Mylar. The draft ordinance also included exceptions for egg cartons, produce trays, packing peanuts and latex balloons made of polystyrene.

However, City Council decided to withdraw the proposed ban on selling metallic or Mylar balloons, Daily Breeze reported. Instead, City Council plans to make it illegal to release helium balloons.

It would be prohibited to sell or distribute polystyrene products within six months of the law going into effect. Retailers, restaurants and the Redondo Beach Unified School District would have one year to stop selling or distributing single-use plastic products.

Plastic pollution has raised environmental and health concerns related to water pollution, the welfare of marine life, and human health, the draft ordinance said.

Redondo Beach City Council directed city staff to draft the ordinance on September 17, 2019.

Many California cities have passed similar ordinances, including neighbor Hermosa Beach, which passed a similar plastic prohibition in November 2019.