The Santa Barbara ordinance comittee is looking at tougher rules on styrofoam and plastics, such as straws and utensils.
That issue has been brought up in other coastal cities in California because of the impact on the ocean environment and on landfills when the products are not made of compostable materials.
The city is working on an ordinance to restrict certain uses, similar to the rules in place in Malibu, San Luis Obispo, and Monterrey.
If approved by the city council, there will be a time-frame for businesses to find alternative materials and use what stock of items they have on hand.