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Local business leaders tell subcommittee restaurants struggle with single‑use compliance
Summary
Carlsbad business representatives told the economic development subcommittee that restaurants and market vendors face supply‑chain and cost barriers complying with new state single‑use/compostable rules and asked the city to provide more coordinated support and a follow‑up briefing.
Brett Schonzenbach, president and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, told the Carlsbad Economic Development Subcommittee that restaurants are struggling to comply with new state single‑use and compostable rules because locally available suppliers often lack the required BPI certification and corporate purchasing channels do not always support franchisees.
"It's a lot for these small businesses to get their head around," Schonzenbach said, describing vendors who spent hundreds of dollars on items that later proved not to be BPI certified. He said city staff had been "very helpful" and had met with businesses and Republic Services to try to ease the transition.
The subcommittee said members had received similar complaints and asked staff to agendize a fuller update. "If possible, I think it would be great to hear, like, an update and just hear what we're doing to make sure that that bridge is happening," one member said, asking for a future briefing that could outline a phased implementation and additional outreach.
Christine Davis, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Association, said the farmers market completed a seven‑month pilot to go single‑use plastics free and that vendors faced supply shortages. "We're now buying about $2,000 worth of supplies a month and then reselling them at our cost to the farmers," Davis said, adding her board has called that approach unsustainable and that the CVA is pursuing vendor volume discounts.
Davis also reported retail foot traffic and sales softness in the village; she said some retailers were down "as much as 40%" year‑over‑year and urged creative programs and activations to draw shoppers downtown.
The subcommittee indicated it will request a broader sustainability update at a future meeting that would cover organics collection, vendor outreach, and enforcement timing. The subcommittee did not take formal action during this item; members asked staff to return with details on implementation timelines and potential supports for small businesses.
The meeting also included a unanimous procedural vote to approve the minutes for the prior meeting.
