Officials Adopt Ordinance To Limit Single-Use Plastic Bottles At Events In San Diego County

VISTA, CA — The City of Vista is expected to become one of the latest cities in San Diego County to implement a ban on single-use plastic bottles at local events after city leaders adopted an ordinance that would limit the sale and distribution of plastic water bottles.

In a 4-1 vote, the Vista city council adopted an ordinance last week that would restrict the sale and distribution of single-use plastic water bottles under one liter at city-affiliated events and on city-owned property. Mayor John Franklin was the dissenting vote on the ordinance.

The ordinance would also impact vendors and entities that rent city-owned property for events.

The city council recommended the ordinance include suggestions made at Tuesday's meeting, including a three-year delay on implementation for youth sporting events and events with more than 30,000 attendees.

The ordinance would also restrict the use of city funds to purchase plastic water bottles with a capacity of less than one liter.

Additional San Diego County cities that have already implemented similar ordinances include San Diego, Solano Beach, Coronado, and most recently Del Mar.

Many of the local residents who attended the meeting expressed support for the ordinance, saying the proliferation of single-use plastic bottles have a negative impact on the beach community and ocean.

In a related matter, the council also asked city staff to an develop ordinance that would restrict local merchants from selling polystyrene products such as disposable cups.

Officials said the city will concentrate its efforts on educating the local community about the new regulations.