City of Malibu Plastic Straw and Utensils Ban

Businesses have until June 1, when the ban takes effect, to make the change, swapping out the plastic items for ones made of paper, wood or bamboo. Diners are also encouraged to use reusable straws and cutlery made of metal or glass.

The Surfrider Los Angeles Chapter testified in support of the ordinance and rallied people to the City Council meetings. Plastic disposible items such as staws and utensils are common items found at our beach cleanups. These items cause problems on land and at sea as they break up into smaller pieces that can be ingested by wildlife in addition to the visual blight in our communities.

This ordinance represents one of the strongest plastics-reduction ordinances in the State of California. The law builds on the existing bans for expanded polystyrene foam (aka Styrofoam) and plastic bags at restaurants, something that is not included in the statewide plastic checkout bag ban.