The Bainbridge Island City Council updated its list of restaurant takeout containers that must be home-compostable at its Nov. 18 meeting.

Hot beverage cups and serving tongs did not make the list, but burrito bowls did.

“Due to price increases — I cannot pinpoint where the price increases come, I can only make assumptions due to possible tariffs, or just increases in cost of inflation — hot cups are off this list. Cold cups were off this list to begin with. Hot cups are being removed due to cost increases. Burrito bowls are being added, mainly because of an increase in manufacturers who make them,” said Adam Nebenzahl, city management analyst who prepared the list.

The complete list of biodegradable serviceware is as follows: food transport containers and tools, (“hot bar” folding paper takeout boxes, pizza boxes, clamshells, hot-beverage cup sleeves, and catering trays), food wrappers (napkins, contact or wax paper), dinnerware (plates, regular and burrito bowls), cone-shaped cups, and utensils (forks, knives, spoons, straws, stirrers, and tasting spoons).

“Our restaurant owners are very savvy, and they follow up on this. They are also trendsetters, and compostable cups are cool,” said BI Mayor Ashley Mathews. “It’s not cool to have plastic-lined cups — you can’t write on them, or put stickers on them the same way, and they don’t show up the same on TikTok or Instagram. So, I don’t see them going back, though there’s always a few.”

The list is part of the city’s 2021 Waste Reduction ordinance, which aimed to push the city toward its climate goals and reduce the amount of plastic in food serviceware from businesses on the island. Starting in 2023, the law required any business that offers takeaway food or beverage service to provide its goods in home-compostable to-go containers, or face a fine of $250-$500 daily.

Not all types of food serviceware fell under this regulation — just those that had affordable options that were relatively easy to acquire in bulk. The ordinance also required city staff to compile a list annually that reflected changes in manufacturing options, pricing and availability.

“One of the reasons the cap on cost was set was, one of the biggest concerns of most of our businesses was, is this going to be more expensive? The non-recyclable stuff, the plastic, was a lot cheaper and readily available. The council did set that if it gets over 15% of cost, we’re not going to recommend it,” said Councilmember Clarence Moriwaki, recalling the legislative process for the ordinance.

Councilmembers approved the list unanimously, but several members noted that removing requirements for biodegradable to-go containers like cups could be a step back for both the environment and public health.

“To our restaurant owners, and to those who frequent them, do you really want to drink out of plastic? Do you want hot fluids out of plastic? I mean, thank god people are starting to really understand what that means,” said Councilmember Kirsten Hytopoulos. “Maybe lobby your local cafe or cafe owner (to) consider that we shouldn’t be drinking out of plastic-lined cups. It would be voluntary, but I certainly hope this doesn’t mean everyone is going to switch back to plastic-lined cups instead of cornstarch-lined cups.”

Moriwaki and Mathews agreed with Hytopoulos, noting that BI businesses are not required to forgo the home-compostable style containers, but that they now have the option of offering the cups or not.

”I hope they’re in on the [environmental] program, and they want to do this because it’s the right thing to do,” said Moriwaki.