Disposable cup tax takes impact July 1 in Santa Cruz County

SANTA CRUZ – With the current passage of Evaluate C, Santa Cruz County officers are reminding inhabitants and corporations in unincorporated areas that a 25-cent single-use cup rate will be carried out on Friday, July 1.

The ordinance aims to encourage the use of clean and reusable beverage containers, in an effort to safeguard the environmental from the adverse outcomes of solitary-use plastics, according to a launch from county spokesperson Jason Hoppin.

“Santa Cruz County is a chief in the endeavours to reduce the flow of plastics and other disposable solutions into the atmosphere,” mentioned Supervisor Zach Friend in the county release. “This is a popular-feeling measure that ought to enable lessen the 5 million disposable cups that are thrown away each individual yr in our county whilst elevating cash for important environmental clear-up systems in our area.”

The rate was initially authorized by the County Board of Supervisors in late 2019, but implementation was delayed owing to the basic safety problems and typical operational impacts posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will utilize to unincorporated regions specifically, as metropolitan areas within the county like Watsonville and Santa Cruz have previously applied related service fees of 10 cents and 25 cents, respectively.

Equally long lasting and short term organizations in which drinks are served–including food trucks and events–must put into practice the ordinance and help you save the receipts. Buyers may perhaps convey their individual reusable cups to these firms and stores should take them except the container is cracked, chipped, corroded or seems inappropriate in measurement, materials or affliction. The tax will surface individually on customer receipts and are not able to be waived by sellers, according to the county launch.