Earlier in December 2022, city council members from Los Angeles and San Diego voted to ban expanded polystyrene foam containers. This material is often used for items such as takeout food packaging, egg cartons, and other consumer products such as CD and DVD cases. The ban will come into effect on April 23rd 2023, and will first only effect establishments with more than 26 employees. In April 2024, the policy will then be extended to all establishments, regardless of their size.
San Diego has also passed another law as part of a 'Plastic Reduction Ordinance', which will see the use of single-use plastic bags prohibited, as well as zero-waste practices being introduced at city facilities.
A policy known as the 'Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act' was also introduced earlier in 2022 in the state of California. The policy will require a 25 percent reduction of single-use plastic packaging and foodware within the next ten years.
According to U.S. plastics policy analyst for the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, Anja Brandon, the bill could prevent nearly 23 million tons of plastic waste from being generated by 2032. However, these policies are only a handful of what the state of California has planned in terms of legislation to help drive the state toward its zero-waste goals - certainly encouraging.
Other countries from around the world have also been introducing legislation that will see certain types of plastic being banned. For example, Canada has banned single-use plastic, while the UK is set to ban single-use plastic plates and cutlery, and polystyrene cups in 2023.