Reducing Litter/Waste &
Protecting the Environment

Santa Cruz County Disposable Cup Charge

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Too Much Trash

Locally, we simply produce too much trash to keep up with. The only landfill run by Santa Cruz County is running out of capacity and will close within the next 6-8 years.

A large source of this trash includes single-use items that often litter our streets and coastal waters. Scientists from the Long Marine Lab at UC Santa Cruz have found that the problem of single-use items in our coastal waters is getting worse.

Every year, local nonprofit groups like Save our Shores and the Downtown Streets Team collect tens of thousands of pounds of trash in our county. Our region’s high wildfire risk and the buildup of trash and other fire fuels has put a strain on local emergency response. Keeping our community clean and free of litter and trash keeps us safe and benefits our natural environment, neighborhoods and local businesses.

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Local Funding
Measure to
Protect Our Coast

To address some of these issues, including reducing litter and pollution in the County, the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance to implement a 25-cent cup charge for any single-use disposable cup provided by a business in the unincorporated areas of the County to encourage the use of reusable cups.

To view the full text of the ordinance, visit:

Click Here
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While the charge has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Supervisors approved a local measure on the June 7, 2022 ballot that would allow half of this revenue to be directed to government services, including efforts to maintain the local environment:

  • Protect clean drinking water sources, water quality and marine life
  • Reduce pollution, trash and plastics entering local waterways, coastal waters and beaches
  • Help prevent wildfires
  • Clean up trash and litter, including in storm drains, on local streets and in public areas
  • Clean and maintain local beaches, parks and natural areas

Strict fiscal accountability would be required, including public disclosure of all spending, with all funds staying local to Santa Cruz County.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Disposable Cup Measure

Santa Cruz County’s only landfill is filling up and running out of room. Every year, close to a million single-use cups get used and thrown away, just in the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County alone. Within the next 6-8 years, the landfill is expected to reach maximum capacity and close. The trash problem continues to worsen, but the County is working to do everything possible to reduce waste and increase the lifespan of the landfill.

In recent years, there has been more litter on beaches, trash cans are overflowing leading to litter on our roads and in our waterways. A large source of this trash includes single-use items that often end up in our creeks, streams, and other local waterways and release toxins into our local groundwater and water supply. Scientists from the Long Marine Lab at UC Santa Cruz have found that the problem of disposable cups in the coastal waters is getting worse.

Our region’s high wildfire risk coupled with the buildup of trash and other fire fuels has put a strain on local emergency response. There is a great need to protect our natural environment, including keeping public areas clean, reducing litter and waste, protecting water quality and helping prevent wildfires.

While the charge has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Supervisors approved a local measure on the June 7, 2022 ballot that would allow half of this revenue to be used for reducing pollution, protecting water quality, helping prevent wildfires and supporting other general services provided by the County.

Yes, the measure would be paid by anyone who shops in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. Tourists are responsible for many of the single-use cups that get thrown away. The measure would ensure that both residents and visitors contribute revenue for services to help maintain the local environment.

Funding from the measure would help Santa Cruz County:
  • Protect clean drinking water sources, water quality and marine life
  • Reduce pollution, trash and plastics entering local waterways, coastal waters and beaches
  • Help prevent wildfires
  • Clean up trash and litter, including in storm drains, on local streets and in public areas
  • Clean and maintain local beaches, parks and natural areas

The measure would include public disclosure of all spending, and all funds staying local to Santa Cruz County.

In 2019, Santa Cruz County passed a single-use cup charge of 25 cents for each cup. The measure seeks to reduce litter, waste and pollution. To view the full text of the ordinance, Click Here.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementation of this charge was delayed. The measure would allow the County to collect half of the proceeds from this charge to be used for waste reduction and environmental programs, among other purposes. The remaining half of the revenue would cover local business’ costs for administering and collecting the charge.

Businesses in the unincorporated area have not been asked to collect the charge yet, since the County delayed implementation of the 2019 ordinance due to health concerns associated with COVID-19. The measure would allow local businesses to retain half of the funds from the charge to cover their internal costs. The County will partner with local businesses to streamline the administration and collection of the charge.