Posted on 07/04/2022 12:17:14 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Beverages—not including those in reusable cups—purchased in unincorporated Santa Cruz County now have a 25-cent fee tacked onto the price
Starting today, anyone purchasing a beverage in the unincorporated parts of Santa Cruz County—and who didn’t bring their own reusable cup—will notice a 25-cent fee tacked onto the price.
That is due to the county’s new disposable cup fee, which was created to reduce the amount of single-use cups for hot and cold beverages going into landfills.
Approved in November 2019, the fee was delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic to avoid adverse impacts on local businesses.
“Santa Cruz County is a leader in the efforts to reduce the flow of plastics and other disposable products into the environment,” said County Supervisor Zach Friend in a press release. “This is a common-sense measure that should help reduce the 5 million disposable cups that are thrown away each year in our county while raising funds for essential environmental clean-up programs in our area.”
The profits from the fee were originally slated to go to the businesses. Measure C, approved on June 7 by more than 69% of voters, mandates that the fee will be evenly split between the businesses and the county’s general fund after Jan. 1, 2023.
The cities of Watsonville and Santa Cruz have their own fees, charging 10 cents and 25 cents, respectively.
The ordinance impacts both permanent and temporary businesses, food trucks, events and other events where beverages are served.
Sellers may not waive or absorb the cup fees.
The fees will be identified on receipts, and customers must be notified of the fee on menus.
Under the ordinance, customers may bring reusable cups, and retailers must accept them unless the container is cracked, chipped or corroded. Retailers may also reject the cups if they are too big, too dirty or damaged or are made from inappropriate material.
For information, email zerowaste@santacruzcounty.us or call 454–2160.
I traveled to the State of Washington in late May. The state has an $.08 bag fee. The two Walmart stores basically gave the state a big F/U to the state. Those bags were very heavy duty and had real handles; and probably contained at least 10x the plastic in the typical grocery cheap plastic bags. They were awesome.
Recycle masks that were on somebody and put on the ground? Ewwwwwww.
Somebody has to post a photo of a hockey cup, catcher's cup, boxer's cup, for certain a rugby cup.
Yeow!!
My guess is this applies to fast food restaurants. I never go through drive-thru. I’ll usually walk in and ask for a senior drink and rather than use their small cup, tell them I have my own cup; a 30 oz Rtic cup with a lid. Thatbway I don’t have to refill it as often. Not bad for $.59 at most fast food places.
You pay for L0TS of stuff that you never notice.
It's just the cost of doing business.
A lot of our containers cost more than the product inside them!
I LOVE the Walmart bags they are AWSOME!! They are 10 cents in Ca. All bags in Ca. are 10 cents!!
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