Truckee Municipal Code Ch. 6.05 Single-Use Bottles and Beverage Packaging

Single-use plastic bottles and paper cartons are detrimental to the health of the natural environment in and around the Town of Truckee, and reducing the waste that accompanies the sale and distribution of these containers will provide great benefit to the Town as well as its residents and visitors. It is hereby declared by the Town Council that a ban on the sale and commercial distribution of water in single-use plastic bottles and paper cartons is in the interest of the public health and welfare of all who visit and reside in the Town of Truckee, and the provisions of this chapter are adopted in furtherance of these purposes.

As used in this chapter, the terms set forth below shall have the following meanings:

"Single-Use Paper Carton" means any formed container comprised predominantly of paper or paperboard with a closing or sealing mechanism such as a plastic cap, which undergoes aseptic processing and is designed to be used once and then discarded, and not designed for repeated use and sanitizing.

"Single-Use Plastic Bottle" means any formed or molded container comprised predominantly of plastic resin, having a relatively inflexible fixed shape or form, having a neck that is smaller than the container body, and designed to be used once and then discarded, and not designed for repeated use and sanitizing. "Single-Use Plastic Bottle" includes a compostable or biodegradable plastic bottle meeting these criteria.

"Social Services" means services provided by state or local government or nonprofit organizations to those persons who, because of their economic circumstances or social condition, are in need of those services and may benefit from them.

"Town Funds" means all monies or other assets received and managed by, or which are otherwise under the control of, the Town, and any notes, bonds, securities, certificates of indebtedness or other fiscal obligations issued by the Town and County.

"Vendor" means any store or business which sells or offers goods or merchandise, located or operating within the Town of Truckee, including mobile or temporary vendors at special events in the Town of Truckee.

"Water" means spring or well water; water taken from municipal or private utility systems or other sources; distilled, deionized, filtered, or other purified water; or any of the foregoing to which chemicals may be added. Water does not include the following: mineral water; carbonated or sparkling water; soda, seltzer, or tonic water; or flavored water, also marketed as fitness water, vitamin water, enhanced water, energy water, or other similar products; food ingredients that are listed in ingredient labeling as 'water,' 'carbonated water,' 'disinfected water,' or 'filtered water.'

A. Effective April 22, 2025, no person in the Town of Truckee shall, on behalf of a business or other organization, distribute water in single-use plastic bottles less than 1 gallon in volume or single-use paper cartons less than 1 gallon in volume. All town vendors, concessionaires, lessees, licensees, and permittees for facility use, special events, and temporary activities shall comply with this section.

B. Effective April 22, 2025, no vendor shall sell water in single-use plastic bottles less than 1 gallon in volume or single-use paper cartons less than 1 gallon in volume in the Town of Truckee.

C. No town funds shall be used to purchase water in single-use plastic bottles or single-use paper cartons.

The following circumstances and settings shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter:

A. Emergencies or other circumstances in which the Emergency Services Coordinator or designee determines that relying on water in single-use paper cartons or plastic bottles is necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, and no reasonable alternative would serve the same purpose. Examples of an emergency include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, emergencies due to release of hazardous materials, emergencies associated with loss of power and/or water or emergency medical response.

B. The provision of social services in which distribution of water in single-use paper cartons or plastic bottles is necessary to promote public health, including without limitation food banks and warming shelters.

C. Healthcare settings, to the extent that the healthcare provider determines that distribution of water in single-use paper cartons or plastic bottles is necessary for patient care, provided that this exemption shall not apply to the commercial sale of single-use paper cartons or plastic bottles within a healthcare facility.

D. Facilities owned and operated by the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District or the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District.

E. Special events run by the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District or the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District on their own property, provided that this exemption shall not apply to events organized by private parties at Tahoe Truckee Unified School District or Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District facilities for which the Town of Truckee issues a special event permit.

(ORD 2024-01; 01/23/2024)