TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Brian D. Bordona, Director - Planning, Building, & Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Ryan Melendez, Planner II - Sustainability
SUBJECT: Amendments to Ordinance modifying Napa County Code Chapter 5.70 and modifying Chapter 5.80
RECOMMENDATION
title
Introduction and intent to adopt an ordinance of the Napa County Board of Supervisors, State of California, amending various sections of Chapter 5.70 (Single-Use Plastic Bag Reduction) and Chapter 5.80 (Reusable Foodware and Waste reduction) of the Napa County Code. (No Fiscal Impact)
body
BACKGROUND
On December 3, 2024, the Napa County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance 1501, amending Chapter 5.70. This Chapter was originally adopted in 2016 by ordinance 1408; however, in 2025 the state of California passed Senate Bill No. 1053, "Solid Waste: recycled paper bags: standards: carryout bag prohibition," amending Chapter 5.3 of Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, to strengthen the state's original plastic bag ban by eliminating the exemption for thicker plastic bags marketed as reusable, thereby closing a loophole that allowed such bags to continue being distributing at store checkouts, effective January 1, 2026. Since the state's law is more restrictive than Napa County's ordinance, this law preempts Chapter 5.70 of the Napa County Code.
As part of Ordinance 1501 in 2024, the Board of Supervisors added Chapter 5.80 to reduce the waste and pollution caused by disposable foodware in the County. This ordinance is scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2026. In preparation for outreach and education to businesses, staff identified the need to clarify and update some of the regulations within the ordinance. Therefore, staff have preemptively revised several sections of the ordinance to improve clarity of the requirements that will be implemented within the unincorporated areas of the County. These updates will allow for streamlined and improved outreach and engagement w...
Click here for full text