These guidelines apply to all BPPA-sponsored events and any private event using BPPA facilities (Bay Beach, L Street Park). The goal is simple: zero single-use plastic at community events.
If you’re hosting or catering a BPPA event, please share this page with your team.
Reusables first, always
The best ocean-friendly option isn’t a different kind of single-use product. It’s no single-use product at all. Real plates, real cups, real silverware. Wash them.
What’s not allowed
- Plastic utensils (forks, knives, spoons)
- Plastic cups, plates, and bowls
- Styrofoam of any kind
- Plastic clamshell containers
- Plastic straws
- Single-use plastic water bottles
- Bioplastic foodware, including anything labeled PLA, “compostable plastic,” “plant-based plastic,” “bio-based,” or “biodegradable” without certification
What to use instead
When reusables aren’t possible, look for products made from minimally-processed, naturally occurring materials:
- Utensils: bamboo, wood (FSC-certified birch, poplar, or pine)
- Plates and bowls: palm leaf (made from fallen leaves), bamboo, uncoated paper
- Cups: stainless steel, glass, aluminum, or coating-free paper (look for SOFi or similar)
- Straws: paper, reed, hay, bamboo, or skip the straw entirely
- Sauce containers: porcelain, stainless steel ramekins, or palm leaf
- Water: reusable bottles. Refill stations are at L Street Park and Bay Beach.
How to spot greenwashing
A lot of products marketed as “eco” or “green” are just plastic with a leaf logo. A few quick tests Surfrider recommends:
- If it looks and feels like plastic, it probably is. Even if it’s labeled “compostable” or “plant-based.”
- Check for real certifications. USDA BioPreferred 100% Biobased and TUV OK Compost HOME are the gold standards. ASTM D6400 means industrial compost only (avoid).
- Avoid these phrases: “PLA,” “CPLA,” “bio-based,” “plant-based plastic,” “biodegradable,” “degradable,” “marine biodegradable,” “eco-friendly,” “made from renewable resources.” None of these guarantee anything.
- Watch for PFAS. “Forever chemicals” show up in a lot of paper and fiber products to make them grease-resistant. Look for “PFAS-free” labeling.
- No ingredient list? Walk away. Transparency is a baseline requirement.
Where to buy compliant supplies
Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Foodware Guide vets specific vendors. A few that meet the bar:
Utensils (wood and bamboo, home compostable)
- Bambu (bambuhome.com)
- Eco-Gecko (via Webstaurant)
- Wood Able
- Holy City Straw Company
Plates and bowls (palm leaf, bamboo)
- VerTerra
- Clear Conscience
- Bambu
Cups
- Klean Kanteen (reusable stainless)
- Ball Aluminum Cup (recyclable)
- SOFi (coating-free paper, home compostable)
- Webstaurant (glass, stoneware)
Straws (if needed at all)
- Aardvark (paper, PFAS-free, home compostable)
- Holy City Straw Company (reed, wheat)
- HAY! Straws (wheat stems)
Reusable containers and serveware
- Klean Kanteen, ECOlunchbox, UKonserve (stainless food boxes)
- Costco, local grocery stores (bamboo utensil packs, paper plates)