Restaurants and take-out spots in unincorporated areas of Monterey County will soon be restricted from including single-use plasticware or condiments with an order, unless a customer asks. So, don’t forget the ketchup.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance at its Oct. 10 regular meeting restricting the single-use items, along with requiring utensils to be offered separately from one another so that a customer can request just the one they want.
The cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas, and Carmel-by-the-Sea have already passed similar ordinances. The move puts the county in line with state legislation that requires a local agency to enforce the regulation.
There are about 600 restaurants or sellers of prepared food in unincorporated Monterey County, according to the county’s health department.
Operators have 180 days to use their current supplies and can run out any remaining contracts for single-use supplies.
Standard condiments that will also require a customer to request them include ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, soy sauce, salsa, relishes, spices, sauces, confections, seasonings, hot sauces, salt, pepper, sugar and sugar substitutes.
The vote was 4-0, with Supervisor Glenn Church absent.
State lawmakers passed legislation targeting single-use items in 2021 with Assembly Bill 1276. Additionally, Senate Bill 54 sets 2030 as the date for requiring all single-use items to be recyclable or compostable and mandates a reduction of their use by 75 percent.
The ordinance will be enforced by the county health department. It goes into effect Nov. 10.
Correctional institutions are exempt, as are health care and assisted-living facilities, and school cafeterias.