Edhat Staff
On Tuesday the Santa Barbara City Council moved to bring the proposed plastic straw ban back to the ordinance committee for further revision.
Santa Barbara made national news as jail time was suggested for punishment for anyone breaking this ordinance. Media outlets such as Fox News, People, and SF Gate were just a few that picked up the story this week.
The Council reviewed voted to continue discussing the ordinance in September. This ordinance would prohibit food and beverage providers from giving out plastic straws to customers to curb single-use plastic straw pollution and promote more environmentally friendly alternatives.
According to a recent press release, the City of Santa Barbara plans to work cooperatively with restaurants to ensure plastic straws are available by request. Jail time and fines are not proposed for anyone who uses a plastic straw or provides one to a customer.
Additionally, updates to this ordinance would include exemptions in consideration of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
During the July 24th meeting, City Council did adopt an ordinance banning food containers and products made of expanded polystyrene, commonly known as “Styrofoam”. In preparation for the expanded polystyrene ordinance becoming operative at 2:01am on January 1st, 2019, City staff stated they will continue to educate and assist businesses in finding alternative products.
The trash and recycling business outreach team will interact with Santa Barbara businesses on a daily basis to address a host of recycling, food scraps composting, trash service, plastic bags use, and nuisance topics. By practice, City staff works proactively to use education as a first line of compliance with all trash and recycling programs and it has proven successful for environmental programs.
For more information about the Proposed Plastic Straw Ordinance please visit the Informational Page.
Residents can email comments and questions to trashandrecycling@
Past Articles
- July 17, 2018: Plastic Straw & Styrofoam Ban Approved by City Council
- June 18, 2018:
- February 17, 2018
Way to toot you own horn. Not only do you get the feel good about bringing your own containers, but you get to feel good about telling other people about it.
The fact is jail time is for straws is ridiculous and representative of how our city Council is. I had no idea they were so lame.
Yep, lame enough to jail someone for a straw and also continues rampant building throughout the city when we are on the brink of being in the red again on the drought index. The current city council is 100% incompetent and needs to be voted out at the nearest chance!
SB is the laughing stock of the country for the straw ban….way to go!!
SB city council continues to focus on the tiniest possible problems while ignoring the largest ones. How about addressing the city’s unfunded pension liabilities which are over $300,000,000 (three hundred million dollars)?
Actually, there are numerous other forward thinking cities that have already proposed the ban. Maybe do your homework?
Isn’t there already a law against throwing platic straws onto the streets, sidewalks, creeks, and ocean …something called a littering law? How about enforcing existing laws rather than creating these bogus new laws. What a crock! How about going after the thoousands of smokers who cssually toss their stinking filthy butts wherever they please? Three days ago I saw a five-shoe-wipe smear of human feces on Anacapa near Mac’s Grog-n-Groc…did not see a single discarded plastic straw the entire day while walking aroun downtown.
Who said there would a jail sentence or fine for using a straw? Fox maybe? You clearly didn’t read the post and are just pushing fake news to further your own agenda.
The Santa Barbara City Council apparently suggested jail time originally.
Jail time was indeed part of the ordinance – for a second offense. So, no it wasn’t Fox it was your own officials. Looks like YOU didn’t read the post or YOU are pushing fake news and accusing others, in the typical gaslighting manner of so many these days, of your own mistakes.
Jail time was indeed part of the ordinance – for a second offense. So, no it wasn’t Fox it was your own officials. Looks like YOU didn’t read the post or YOU are pushing fake news and accusing others, in the typical gaslighting manner of so many these days, of your own mistakes.
This made national news and the shaming was rightfully relentless. Looks like they don’t have much to do. If I was their employer I’d fire them. Oh wait I AM one of the employers. Can they be recalled?
NAMASTE YOGI if you had no idea they were so lame you must be new to these parts.
City Council – It used to be only we who live in Santa Barbara that knew about your incompetence. Now you’ve shown the entire country what incompetent fools you are. Way to go! Congratulations!
The laughing stock of the bone heads who watch Fox Snooze go ahead laugh at me and vote me out I’m proud to be their joke. Turns out it’s not law yet anyway so the Fake Snooze reported Fake snooze.
Roger my friend it was also reported by liberal news outlets as well. And it was an ordinance, that passed by a vote of 6-1 by city council members. An ordinance is basically a law not imposed by the state or federal government. It was set to go into effect in Jan 2019. Heck, it was even reported here on edhat, with a draft of the ordinance provided along with the article. I’m glad they’re at least considering walking it back, if only so the kids can continue to drink slurpees. Or icees, if that’s your thing.
Roger my friend it was also reported by liberal news outlets as well. And it was an ordinance, that passed by a vote of 6-1 by city council members. An ordinance is basically a law not imposed by the state or federal government. It was set to go into effect in Jan 2019. Heck, it was even reported here on edhat, with a draft of the ordinance provided along with the article. I’m glad they’re at least considering walking it back, if only so the kids can continue to drink slurpees. Or icees, if that’s your thing.
First it was the Fig tree bums, then the infamous Blue Line, now the plastic straw crime. No wonder we need a bigger police station and new north county jail. A growth industry for a new wave of law enforcement and criminal justice workers. Identifying this city for progressive over-kill hurts everyone. District elections make it harder and harder to throw the bums out. Be careful who you vote for next time. You have to lie low until you get the necessary 4 vote majority, five even better. Who will they be?
Bahaha! It is entertaining to watch the out-of-touch trustefarians run around in circles whilst patting themselves on the back. They’re good for something…
When we go to a restaurant and know we’ll need a “doggy bag” for leftovers, we bring our own food saver-type containers. That way we aren’t adding styrofoam or plastic restaurant containers to the local landfill. Sounds a bit anal to some, no doubt, but it works fine. Restaurant wait persons always smile and thank us for bringing our own container(s). As for the ban on styrofoam/polystyrene and plastic straws——hooray. About time.
I think it’s great to be concerned about the environment, and have laws that protect our land, sea, and water. We should thank progressive cities and states for looking after Mother Earth. Over the past several years I have been to many of these “leading edge” cities. What they all have in common, each and every one of these cities, is rampant homelessness, extreme poverty, and worst of all…..filth. When I say filth, I mean Ef-Eye-El-Tee-H beyond anything we have in Santa Barbara. Two week ago, I was in San Francisco to attend a conference. All I can say is UN-BEE-Leave-Able!! I saw no less than a couple dozen discarded needles during a two-block walk, and er….several piles of what appeared to be human feces. Forward thinking? I think not. More like backwards ten steps.
There are very thick paper straws available. Banning plastic shouldn’t be a problem. What in heavens name does anyone think we did before plastic?
So, jail time for straws but they let the firestarting homeless off with no punishment?
We can switch to biodegradable straws right now. Eventually they’ll become less expensive.
Thanks for the chuckle!
Thanks for the chuckle!
CC is anticipating a spitwad barrage at a future meeting and used this as a pre-emptive strike
No you’ve done it…you actually brought up substance over form. All the people that are applauding the straw ban are buying Huggies at Costco