Effective January 1, 2022, the City of Camarillo will prohibit the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) food and beverage containers, furthering the City’s goal of providing cost-effective, efficient services while minimizing impacts on the environment.
Expanded polystyrene, known by the trademarked name of Styrofoam™, is a commonly used material to produce disposable dishes and packaging. Its low cost and insulation properties make it a popular choice for restaurants and food retailers.
Environmentally conscious municipalities have banned non-biodegradable food packaging, like EPS, since the late 1980’s. There are more than 100 local ordinances in California restricting EPS, including the cities of Ojai, Ventura, and Thousand Oaks.
At their meeting of May 12, 2021, the City Council directed staff to create an ordinance that would prohibit food providers from distributing EPS, and also would ban both the sale and distribution of any EPS food packaging, containers and food service ware. On July 14, 2021, staff presented the EPS Ban, which was unanimously approved by the Camarillo City Council. The Ordinance, which outlines the full list of definitions and exemptions, is available on the City’s website at www.cityofcamarillo.org/EPSBan.
A one-year exemption is available for any food and beverage service provider experiencing financial hardship or difficulties from the EPS ban.
For more information on the EPS ban, including resources to help businesses comply with the ordinance, please visit www.cityofcamarillo.org/EPSBan or contact by email Economic Development Coordinator Georg Winkler at gwinkler@cityofcamarillo.org.