SAN DIEGO — The entire West Coast is now foam foodware free, thanks to a ban that went into effect at the beginning of the year.

The only thing better than fresh, local seafood is when its also sustainably caught with a focus on keeping the environment healthy, according to AnaLeesia Tripp, general manager at Mitch’s Seafood in Point Loma.  

“We care about what we’re giving back into the environment and the least amount of footprint for us is better,” Tripp said. 

There is not one piece of plastic or Styrofoam in the restaurant. They have swapped out for better choices such as bamboo cutlery and aluminum cups.

Since California’s ban on plastic foam foodware went into effect at the beginning of the year, it has made the entire West Coast foam foodware free, with Washington and Oregon now having similar laws in effect. 

Tripp also helps run the Ocean Friendly Restaurant program at the Surfrider Foundation, which recognizes restaurants who are reducing their environmental impact.  

“We want to make sure that we’re not putting in any extra added trash to the ecosystem just right below us,” Tripp said, referring to the restaurant's location directly on the water.

Ocean Conservancy scientists estimate that the ban’s passage will eliminate up to 3.9 billion pieces of foam foodware in California every year. 

Gabriel Schiering works with I Love a Clean San Diego, an organization inspiring the community towards environmental action and awareness. He’s hoping they will start seeing less Styrofoam during future cleanups.

“It crumbles into a million billion pieces depending on how small it gets,” Schiering said. “Styrofoam cups, single waste cups, clamshell containers, Styrofoam peanuts and packaging are all banned now along the West Coast so that’s a really great step in the right direction for clearing up our waterways.”

Schiering says they will continue to do community cleanups all over the county, cutting off the different types of trash before it can pollute the ocean.

“Our care for the ocean starts upstream and that’s why we do a lot of creek cleanups and park cleanups where there’s storm drains and lakes nearby because we don’t want that waste to ever get to the ocean in the end,” he said.

Even though the foam foodware ban takes Styrofoam off the table for restaurants along the West Coast, Tripp hopes it motivates everyone to take extra steps to create a pollution-free future.

“I feel joy that we’re not going to find microplastics in the ocean anymore and the fish aren’t going to be eating it anymore; which we serve mostly seafood so it’s even better for us,” she said.

According to the Ocean Conservancy, plastic foam is not recyclable and because it is lightweight, crumbles easily, and quickly spreads in the environment, and plastic foam is one of the most common forms of plastic pollution both in California and worldwide.