Land Use Committee advances ordinance to ban plastic straws and PFAS‑lined foodware in San Francisco

San Francisco’s Land Use Committee advanced an ordinance on July 16, 2018, that would ban the sale and use of many single‑use plastic accessories — including straws, stirrers and cocktail picks — and prohibit foodware containing fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS.

Chair Katie Tang introduced the measure as part of a broader effort to reduce plastic pollution and highlighted the bill’s main provisions: a ban on non‑compostable and certain compostable plastics for accessories, an “ask‑first” policy so single‑use accessories are provided only on request or at self‑service stations, and a requirement that compostable foodware be certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). Tang said there will be a medical‑need exception for plastic straws.

Debbie Rafael of the Department of the Environment told the committee the ordinance has five elements: (1) ban plastic accessories and exclude substitution with compostable plastic that does not biodegrade in the marine environment, (2) require accessories be provided only on request, (3) ban fluorinated linings (PFAS) in foodware and require BPI certification by 2020, (4) require permitted events with more than 100 people to provide reusable cups for at least 10 percent of attendees (with multiple compliance options), and (5) give the department regulatory authority to require recycled content after an on‑ramp.

Rafael said the BPI certification will be used to verify products are fluorinated‑free as of 2020 and emphasized outreach and technical assistance for businesses, including multilingual materials and in‑store help. The department proposed a phased implementation: straws and beverage accessories effective July 1, 2019; fluorinated‑free compostable foodware and recycled‑content rulemaking effective in 2020.

Public comment offered both support and cautions. Health and environmental researchers testified about PFAS exposure and developmental risks; Dr. Tracy Woodruff of UCSF said evidence shows removing PFAS from the marketplace reduces human body burdens. Event organizers, restaurant trade groups and small‑business advocates broadly supported the environmental goals but raised logistical and cost concerns: Patrick Finger of Folsom Street Events said reusable cup rules for alcohol sales could complicate event operations and enforcement, and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association asked the city to allow businesses to exhaust existing straw inventories and to ensure BPI‑certified alternatives are affordable and ADA‑compliant.

After discussion, Chair Tang duplicated the legislative file so the committee can advance the main ordinance while staff crafts a parallel version to address prepackaged goods (for example, juice boxes with attached straws). The committee moved to send a version of the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation; the motion carried without objection.

The Land Use Committee record shows outreach and implementation support are planned, including a one‑year on‑ramp for businesses and carve‑outs for medical‑need straws. The full Board will receive the ordinance and the duplicated file addressing prepackaged goods at a later date.