OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The Oceanside City Council voted unanimously to ban single-use plastic bags, Styrofoam cups and trays, along with other products from businesses in the city limits.

The normal battles with plastic industry executives have been exhausted, and not a single person spoke in favor of keeping the plastics in the mix.

“Yes, we will be part of this movement here in Oceanside. This is phenomenal. It truly is,” said Oceanside Mayor, Ester Sanchez.

The one-time-use bag ban will go into effect in January 2025 and the end to Styrofoam in Oceanside is set for July 2024.  Activists, students, residents, and even the chamber of commerce are onboard for the new environmental restrictions on plastics.

“Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, Imperial Beach Solana Beach — so, all the coastal cities — they have all adopted a similar ordinance. I know the City of San Diego recently did,” said Lindsay Leahy, from the Water Utilities Department of Oceanside.

The Surfrider Foundation says they are seeing the tide change, and believe this is the beginning of a movement that starts on the coast but will work inland.

“In the past — I’d say 5 years — is having real ideological battles against this where businesses or more conservative politicians are against this to having a lot of consensuses,” said Mitch Silverstein with the Surfrider Foundation.

Silverstein says the only beach community not moving in the same direction is Coronado.

“What I’d say to Coronado is — let’s do this,” said Silverstein.