food truck owner serves food in compostable containers with compostable utensils to customer

RESOURCES FOR THE PUBLIC

Cutting down on landfill waste.

Resources for the Public

Single-use plastic foodware is used for a short amount of time before becoming landfill waste and environmental pollution that contain toxic chemicals.

Purpose of the Foodware Ordinance

Reduce Single-Use Plastics and Other Foodware Waste

In our current society, many plastic disposable foodware items are used for just a few minutes before becoming waste. Once plastic foodware becomes waste, if unmanaged, it ends up as litter on our streets.

Keep Our Waterways Clean and Safe

Bay Area litter studies have found that food and beverage packaging make up the majority of street litter, half of which comes from fast food and take-out. Once on the street as litter, they can enter our drains to pollute our waterways, bay, ocean, and beaches.

Improve Health and Safety of Our Community Members

Once in the environment, plastics don’t just breakdown back into their original components, they just become smaller and smaller pieces of plastic – microplastics. These microplastics are now being found in the food that we eat, the air that we breath, and even in us.

Public Resources

What you can do to be part of this important effort:

icon of lightbulb going off in a person's head

Understand what the new Ordinance requires.

Read Summary (PDF)

Request disposable accessories like straws and condiments only when absolutely needed.

Take only what you really need at self-serve stations and dispensers.

Bring and use your own reusable utensils, cups, and foodware.

Featured Initiative

Okapi reusable cup filled with a latte next to a bagel at a cafe

Okapi Reusables Pilot

The County’s Foodware Aware Team has partnered with OKAPI Reusables to launch and pilot a reusable cup network in cafes (including boba!).

OKAPI Reusables provides cafes with an easy way to offer reusable cups to-go for coffee, smoothies, and bubble tea. OKAPI provides the cups, signage, and a simple mobile app for customers to borrow and return cups. Cafés wash and sterilize the to-go cups like they would dine-in dishware.

Find and support your local participating cafes.

More information on how to participate for interested business owners.

Flag a Food Facility that Needs Assistance

Thank you for helping us identify food facilities that need additional support to meet the requirements of the County of San Mateo’s Model Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance (Ordinance).

Submit a Request for Assistance for a Food Facility

IMPORTANT NOTE: This Ordinance only applies to food facilities that operate in the unincorporated areas of the county and/or a city that has adopted the County’s Ordinance. Jurisdictions have different enforcement start dates. Please refer to the list of all the jurisdictions in San Mateo County that have adopted and their accompanying enforcement start dates.

Contact Us

Our Foodware Aware Program Team — the County’s Sustainability Department and Environmental Innovations, Inc. — are here to help you and other impacted food facilities successfully make the operational transition to meet the new requirements of the County’s Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance.

Please email foodware@smcgov.org or call 888-442-2666 to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

Foodware Aware Program, San Mateo County Sustainability Department

San Mateo County Sustainability Department

The Latest News & Events

Aug
22

Free Tire Recycling Drop-Off Event @ Millbrae library

The County of San Mateo Sustainability Department is hosting a free tire recycling drop-off event for San Mateo County residents. There is a limit of 9 passenger or light truck tires per vehicle, as required by state law. Tires accepted at this event must be size R19.5 or smaller, with or without rims. Please ensure the tires are deflated. Tires from commercial, auto repair, and/or salvage businesses will not be accepted.

Location: 1 Library Ave, Millbrae, CA 94030
Date: August 22, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Collector: San Jose Conservation Corps

Questions?

Call 888-442-2666

Residents must provide proof of residency in San Mateo County (e.g., driver’s license, utility bill, garbage collection bill, etc.).

For larger truck tires (tractor, truck etc.) contact the Sustainability Department at 888-442-2666 for recycling location information or visit www.recyclestuff.org.

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Resources for the Public

Purpose of the Foodware Ordinance