Waste Reduction

City Implements Sustainable Food Service Ware Ordinance
All food vendors selling prepared foods, as well as City facilities, must use biodegradable, compostable, resusable and recyclable food service ware.  This means that businesses that serve prepared foods for take out or provide containers for leftovers, cannot use containers made of polystyrene foam (sometimes called Styrofoam™)
For more information:
    Ordinance #767
    Business Flyer
    Sustainable Food Service Ware Distributors
    Acceptable Product List
Businesses can also contact the City of Pacifica for more information at 738-7300 and Recology of the Coast at 355-9000 for recycling ideas and service.  The Pacifica Chamber of Commerce also offers a large display of biodegradable, compostable, resusable and recyclable food service ware and a list of vendors who have the products.  Businesses are also encouraged to work with Recology of the Coast to integrate composting and recycling of containers into the regular recycling services  by calling 355-9000 or visiting the Recology website at Recology of the Coast.

For ideas on how to reduce waste at your business, check out the California Integrated Waste Management Board’s website. Additionally, find out how to reduce office junk mail.

BayMax is a materials exchange partnership with California's Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Search the BayMax listings of the CalMAX Catalog for wanted or available materials by 15 different material types, or expand your search to include all of California. CalMAX is a free service designed to help businesses find markets for nonhazardous materials they otherwise would discard.

San Mateo County offers many tips for businesses, including how to start a recycling program and free posters for your office.  We also have ideas on how you can recycle electronics and other items (such as paper, aluminum, batteries, cardboard, etc.) in your business or home.  Some items are just too toxic to trash so if you're unsure it's best to reference this Too Toxic To Trash poster.

Other ways to help reduce waste include buying products made from recycled materials. Buying recycled-content or reusing products/equipment is called 'closing the recycling loop'. It is important to close the recycling loop and reduce our consumption of resources for future generations.