City of Manhattan Beach
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THE PLASTIC POLLUTION PROBLEM Protecting the environment is part of Manhattan Beach’s core values. Yet, plastic of all shapes, sizes and colors are popping up everywhere from cocktails to delivery food to unasked-for glasses of water. See FAQ below for more information.
MANHATTAN BEACH IS TAKING ACTION Here in Manhattan Beach we have taken the opportunity to do something big about the plastic pollution problem, in 2008 with plastic bags and 2013 with polystyrene, to 2018 with single-use plastic straws and utensils. Most recently in 2019, Manhattan Beach has tackled plastic pollution by addressing meat trays and balloons, which can harm wildlife.
The Manhattan Beach City Council has passed several comprehensive ordinances concerning plastic and emerged as an environmental leader that other cities look to for best practices in plastic pollution reduction.
What You Can Do to Keep Plastic Out of the Ocean
- Take reusable bags to the grocery store and for all your other shopping
- Encourage your friends and family to use reusable bags
- Encourage your friends and family to reduce their plastic consumption
- Recycle plastic products whenever possible
- Drink water out of a glass or other reusable bottle
- Never litter and always dispose of trash properly
Download the Plastic Free MB Guidelines and Purchasing Guide
Reusable Bags, Not Paper or Plastic
The City of Manhattan Beach encourages you to bring a reusable bag with you every time you shop. By using reusable bags instead of single-use bags you can help to conserve resources, reduce landfill waste, reduce plastic bag litter, and protect the marine environment.
The best alternative to using carry-out plastic bags at the point of purchase is to bring your own reusable bag. We hope that carrying reusable bags will become common place in Manhattan Beach. Reusable bags are preferable for several reasons: they conserve energy and natural resources, reduce the total volume of waste disposed in landfills, and lead to a cleaner and more sustainable marine environment.
Plastic Carry-Out Bags Prohibited
California passed Senate Bill 1053 that prohibits all plastic bags at the point of sale for retail establishments and grocery stores, including reusable plastic bags, and mandates that any bags distributed at the point of sale be made of recycled paper. This law does not apply to pre-checkout bags such as produce bags, dry-cleaning garment bags, and pharmacy bags. For more information on these State requirements, visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov/plastics/bagrequirements/
Single-Use Plastic Straws, Stirrers, and Utensils Ban
On June 5, 2018, the Manhattan Beach City Council adopted an ordinance updating the Municipal Code to prohibit single-use plastic straws, utensils, and stirrers. This is paired with an upon-request policy for non-plastic disposable items. Only straws and utensils made from non-plastic materials, such as wood, metal, bamboo, fiber, glass are allowed. Bioplastics, PLA plastics, and #7 plastics are NOT allowed. Businesses may retain and dispense plastic straws as an accommodation to people with disabilities who request them to enjoy equal access to food and beverage services within the City.
Polystyrene Ban
Manhattan Beach passed its first polystyrene ordinance in 2013, which banned polystyrene food service ware. It was amended in 2014 to include ice coolers, straws, cup lids, and utensils made from polystyrene materials, and a prohibition on the sale of polystyrene food service materials in local retail stores.
The new amendment in 2018 removes exemptions for raw food, including polystyrene produce trays and egg cartons. It also prohibits polystyrene packing materials, including packing peanuts and noodles. The update in 2019 includes a prohibition on polystyrene meat trays.
| Allowed | Not allowed |
| Paper/cardboard egg cartons | Polystyrene or Styrofoam®️ egg cartons |
| Biodegradable packing materials | Polystyrene or Styrofoam®️ packing materials |
| Biodegradable produce and meat trays | Polystyrene or Styrofoam®️ produce and meat trays |
Restrictions on Balloons
On March 6th, 2019, City Council adopted ordinance 19-0003 which includes a ban on the sale and distribution of Mylar/foil balloons. The ordinance also regulates the use Mylar balloons in public spaces such as beaches and parks, in order to prevent accidental releases. In addition, the ordinance prohibits the mass release of latex/rubber balloons in the City.
Mylar balloons, also known as foil or metalized balloons, contribute to hundreds of power outages a year in Southern California. In the 1990s, the state of California banned the mass release of Mylar balloons. Not only do these types of balloons pose a potential threat to power distribution, they also threaten marine environments. Mylar balloons can take hundreds of years to decompose. During this time they sit in landfills or end up in our trees, beaches, and the ocean where they pose a threat to marine animals- either through entanglement or ingestion.
Latex balloons are made from rubber, and while they take less time to break down, they still pose a serious risk to the marine environment. Slightly broken down, these balloons look similar to jellyfish. Latex balloons can take anywhere from 6 months to 4 years to break down. During this time, marine animals often mistake the balloon for a food source. Balloons are one of the deadliest forms of marine debris to seabirds.