Sen. Catherine Blakespear. (Photo: sd38.senate.ca.gov)
Bill to Ban Use Of Disposable Cups At Restaurants Introduced in CA Senate
Critics say that SB 1167 would be largely ineffective: ‘This just isn’t a smart bill’
By Evan Symon, February 15, 2024 5:21 pm
A bill to end the usage of disposable plastic or paper cups at some restaurants was introduced to the Senate on Wednesday, becoming the latest bill this year to cut back or ban disposable plastic or paper product usage.
Senate Bill 1167, authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), would prohibit a chain restaurant from serving or offering for sale a beverage in a single-use vessel to a customer that is dining or consuming the beverage on the premises. According to a press release released by Blakespear, this will specifically require chain restaurants in California to provide dine-in customers with non-toxic reusable cups, instead of single-use plastic or paper cups that often end up in landfills.
Blakespear said that she wrote the bill because while many disposable cups are designed to be recyclable or disposable, many still end up in landfills. Other parts of them, such as plastic tops or sleeves are often non-recyclable as well, contributing to environmental problems. She also noted that many paper cups found in restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, are usually lined with polyethylene plastic, making them difficult to recycle or compost. She also noted that a CalRecycle study found that 500,000 tons of plastic foodware are brought to dumps each year, with a big culprit being cups.
“California has a massive plastic waste problem, and if we are serious about protecting our environment and living sustainably, we must reduce it across the board,” said Senator Blakespear on Wednesday. “SB 1167 is a simple, sensible step to reduce waste coming from restaurants.”
“SB 1167 would require chain restaurants in California to provide dine-in customers with non-toxic reusable cups, instead of single-use plastic or paper cups that often end up in landfills.”
Disposable Cup Ban bill
While no other lawmakers backed the bill on Wednesday, several environmental groups did, echoing Blakespear’s reasoning.
“There is a reason why ‘reduce’ and ‘reuse’ come before recycling in the ‘3 Rs,’ and there are few examples of more egregious and wasteful consumption than being given a disposable cup when you are drinking coffee at a café,” said Californians Against Waste advocacy director Nick Lapis. “Things we use for minutes shouldn’t pollute the earth for centuries.”
However, many experts noted that SB 1167 is flawed. Many told the Globe on Thursday that Blakespear is not including how much the cup switch would cost restaurants annually, especially smaller businesses where having to switch to more expensive cups could hurt business. Experts also pointed out that several countries have the much cheaper rule in place of having a separate trash can for certain recyclables, as well as signs asking patrons to put plastic materials in a separate trash can.
“Blakespear is going for the most expensive option each time, or the most farfetched solution,” Ellie Bridger, an environmental scientist who helps advise on some political campaigns, told the Globe. “In case you are wondering, she is the same person in California right now wanting that complete plastic shopping ban.”
“What we need before this bill goes anywhere near a Committee in Sacramento is a study showing how much this is going to cost restaurants, because it is probably a lot. And that means smaller businesses hurt more and all restaurants will just raise prices even more to combat that. And with that $20 minimum wage law about to go into effect, that’s the last thing consumers need.”
“Also, remember that California put into effect that plastic straw ban years ago, but most places have found ways around that. Either they found loopholes to continue using them, or they created special cups that didn’t require straws but actually made the plastic problem worse by having special lids allowing people to sip. This cup thing is going to do the same. If this somehow passes, there are going to be a ton of loopholes. I mean, I’m seeing a few on the surface level already. She says it is dine in only, for example, so all people have to do is say take out, then conveniently change their mind and eat in and keep those cups.”
“This just isn’t a smart bill. A better option would have people separate their cups into different bins on the way out. It takes two seconds. Just put in another trash can and put up a few signs. So much cheaper to do. Whoever wrote this bill really did not think this through for more than two minutes.”
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Thanks a million (not really) for wasting even more of our time and energy with your useless nonsensical proposals, Sen Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas).
Thank you Encinitas. My brother lives in Encinitas and I highly doubt he knows about SB 1167 or he would have already sent me jokes about this.
There are so many horrible lawmakers in Sacramento. You would think they would tackle the problems with homelessness, crime and mental health issues! They seem to work on everything but what the voters are concerned about!!
Before Democrats are done, we’ll all be on total parenteral nutrition anyway. Or, unconscious with our bodies layed on gurneys in a emergency department hallway, while oncoming trauma staff are stalled on a bridge, blocked by a seated palestinian youth movement. /s
Ha ha, you can’t make this stuff up! Our electrical grid is already a joke, and our overlords are constantly reminding us about our perpetual drought, yet this moron apparently wants commercial dishwashers added to the mix? Oh, and better hire more $20 an hour staff to load the cups. Good job senator; you get my vote … for the lead role in the next Dumb and Dumber movie.
Thanks for your post Lost in Space. You pointed out all the problems in Sacramento very well.
Just another useless attorney.
Because THIS is the most important issue facing California right now…
Everything else is just hunky-dory, right Catherine???
Another Democrat dumbass that should be from NorCal, where they’re FAMOUS for this kind of virtue-signaling nanny-state crap legislation…
Thanks for your great comment Critical Dfence9!! We have to get rid of these demwits in Sacramento!!! Stop people from voting for them.
Two trash bins my a**
This woman is a moron and a tyrant. Bad combination. There is NO plastic garbage crisis in California. No shortage of landfill capacity. Almost no litter. The plastic pollution in the world is in Asia and Africa, not here.
Thanks Anonymous, you are so right! WE must stop putting these demwits in office.
The only thing worse than more government is ineffective government. The good Senator could use a collage level course on this.
With all the crime, poverty, homelessness, and destruction of our children the California State Legislature is focused on disposable cups! We need new leadership. This is why I am running for State Assembly 18 (Alameda, Oakland and Emeryville). Mindy Pechenuk, Rep. Candidate for State Assembly 18. Go to my website electmindy.com
Democrat Sen. Catherine Blakespear is at it again? First she wants to ban plastic bags with SB 1053 and now she want to ban disposable cups with this bill?
Blakespear is another radical leftist lawyer who grew up privileged and pampered in the upscale beach community of Encinitas which has been repeatedly sued over policies that try to undermine state affordable housing laws. Blakespear lives in a large mansion on a six acre estate in Encinitas. No doubt she dines at only the most expensive restaurants with the finest glass wear where disposable cups are never seen? She probably has household help who do the shopping for her and she hasn’t had to schlep any plastic grocery bags for years?
She’s another wealthy coastal Democrat who is completely out of touch with the struggles of average Californians?
TJ thanks so much. It is so great to hear from all the common sense people out there pushing back on Sacramento demwits!! We need to rid that body of all of them. One by one, lets put in Conservatives.
We should ban legislators who have styrofoam between their ears, which holds the supermajority in Sacramento.
First they came for our bags, then our straws, now our cups.
I missed the part in high school Civics class about the government’s sole purpose being to punish its citizens. Did I miss something?
Come one now, this is ridiculous do these nut cases have anything better to do? I am tired of these tyrants attacking us citizens, do they not forget the work for us and not the other way around, taking more and more of our freedoms while they are exempt that stealing our tax payers money via money laundering.
Blessed are the petroleum derivatives…
This will turn out like the plastic bag ban. All these cups will be thrown away which will result in even more plastic. Me thinks someone has invested in reusable cups and now want to force everyone to buy them.
So if I get a “coffee to go” they hand me the whole pot? Or pour it in a zip lock bag?
Why not solve real problems like why are tax payers leaving and tax eaters coming.