Malibu Expanded Polystyrene Ban

In furtherance of our Rise Above Plastics program, Surfrider successfully advocated for the city of Malibu to expand its existing prohibition on expanded polystyrene foam.  Specifically, Surfrider staff attended a public meeting and submitted testimony and informational materials to the Malibu City Council about the harms of EPS foam to our beaches and marine resources, and shared examples of other coastal cities like San Francisco who are leading the way with strong EPS bans.  In response, the Malibu City Council adopted an ordinance in November, broadening its existing ordinance to include the following:  

The new ordinance prohibits the sale and distribution of polystyrene foam food service ware products within the City; prohibits the use of polystyrene foam food service ware products within the City; prohibits “other” polystyrene foam products for sale or distribution within the City, including: coolers and ice chests; packing materials, including packing peanuts, pool and beach toys; and dock floats, buoys and similar maritime products.  Any prohibited polystyrene products are also now prohibited on any beach within the City.  

The revisions make Malibu's ordinance one of the strongest EPS policies in the U.S..  Surfrider will continue to advocate at the local level to encourage other cities and counties to follow suit.