How San Diego Handles Single-Use Items: A Practical Guide

San Diego maintains 241 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with single-use items. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where San Diego falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Polystyrene Foam Rules

San Diego SDMC section 66.0701 et seq. bans food vendors and city facilities from using expanded polystyrene foam containers, cups, plates, trays, and coolers. Phase-in dates ended in 2019, and the ban is now full citywide.

Key details: City ordinance: SDMC section 66.0701. Coverage: All food retailers, citywide. Small-business phase-in: Ended 2019. State backdrop: SB-54, PRC 42041.

Distributing or using banned EPS foam food ware violates SDMC section 66.0701 and triggers warnings, then administrative fines up to several hundred dollars per day from Environmental Services.

Compared to other cities, San Diego takes a harder line on polystyrene foam rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Plastic Straw Rules

California AB-1884 (Public Resources Code section 42270) bars full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws. San Diego aligns through SDMC section 66.0701 plastics rules and County Public Health enforcement, requiring straws on request only.

Key details: State law: AB-1884, PRC section 42270. Default: Straws on request only. City alignment: SDMC chapter 6 article 6. Disability access: Must accommodate requests.

Auto-distributing plastic straws violates Public Resources Code section 42270 and triggers a written warning, then fines up to twenty-five dollars per day, capped at three hundred dollars per year per state law.

Plastic Bag Rules

San Diego banned single-use plastic carryout bags effective June 22, 2017 at large stores and August 1, 2017 at smaller retailers. Retailers must charge at least 10 cents per recycled-content paper or reusable bag. The city ordinance now operates alongside California SB 270 and the SB 1053 phase-out of plastic reusables (Jan 2026).

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Administrative penalties: $100 first violation, $200 second, $500 each subsequent violation within one year, per the city's Code Enforcement schedule. Repeat offenders may face a stop-sale order. Report violations through "Get It Done" at sandiego.gov.

Compared to other cities, San Diego takes a harder line on plastic bag rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

San Diego is tougher than many cities when it comes to single-use items. Out of the 3 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in San Diego, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects San Diego's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.