Styrofoam Ban Grows in California
by Amanda Wills
Published on May 18th, 2009
6 Comments
PlasticNews reports that Palo Alto, Calif. will officially ban take out containers starting April 22, 2010. The move is a growing trend as 22 other coastal California towns are prohibiting the use of polystyrene takeout containers. San Francisco was the first major city to enact the ban in 2007.
The ban extends to containers, clam shells, bowls, plates, cartons and cups. However, it does not affect straws, utensils or hot up lids. In January, Palo Alto stopped accepting polystyrene packing peanuts and polystyrene blocks used in consumer goods packaging.
Palo Alto is the 23rd city in California to ban styrofoam take-out containers. Photo: Blog.menupages.com
But while the ban will reduce Palo Alto’s waste, that’s not the initial intention of the prohibition. The current economic recession carried a lot of weight for lawmakers proposing the ban.
“Part of the rationale for a ban was the economy and the recycling markets in general,” says Mike Levy, director of the Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group of the American Chemistry Council. “It is a difficult decision for a city to add recycling when the market is down.”
However, Levy adds that fewer than 5 percent of the cities in California have enforced this ban, and as the economy picks up, so will the market for recycling materials. Therefore, Levy hopes that other cities will look at the sustainability aspect of the situation and its potential for recycling, not just from an economic standpoint.
Litter audits have shown that the polystyrene ban has not significantly reduced the littler. The 2008 audit shows that on and item-by-item basis, the 36 percent reduction in polystyrene litter was offset by an equal increase in coated paperboard.
Nevertheless, the ban is seen as a step forward considering the complexity of polystyrene (Styrofoam) recycling. Because it’s so lightweight, polystyrene takes up to 0.01 percent of the total municipal solid waste stream by weight, but as you may have guessed, its volume is a greater problem than its weight. It takes up space in landfills and doesn’t biodegrade.
Robert Weintraub
posted on June 13th, 2009 at 10:10 am
If we can find a suitable alternative for Styrofoam cups etc we can promote it to local restaurants, fast food joints, coffee shops.
Nassau County (Florida) Sierra Club
Tim
posted on August 19th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
We manufacture and distribute fully compostable biodegradable food packaging which can safely replace all styrofoam applications and are micro wave safe as well. We have just started selling the products in the US after 8 successful years in Europe and are looking for interested distributors.
Dental Fremont
posted on October 22nd, 2009 at 1:48 am
I actually support this, as much as possible I do not buy food and other things that are enclosed in styro. However this is quite difficult because there is no definite alternative for it.
Hollie
posted on January 6th, 2010 at 10:38 am
P&R Paper Supply, a wholesale distributor who services restaurants, institutional business, schools, caterers, grocery markets, etc, offers a full “Earth Line”, with envornonmentally friendly soulutions to the typical styrofoam, and polystyrene foodservice packaging options out there. Please contact me if you are interested in green alternatives for your foodservice operation.
hollie@prpaper.com
Judy Caporuscio
posted on January 6th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
I think it’s a very sensible ban for environmental issues. Everytime I go to the beach I pick up trash and styrofoam is always included. I’ve sat on the sand and watched gulls play with styrofoam thinking it’s food. So many coastal and marine animals wind up eating plastics that just stay in their stomachs until it kills them. To want to continue using a plastic product for, what, convenience and pricing, when it’s killing off your environment, is I think unpractical and uncaring. Use PAPER! Use reuseable plastics. Use your head.
The Green Police | Carolina Review Daily
posted on February 9th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
[...] And then there’s the shot where they arrest the man for throwing away batteries. Incidentally, a law in California prohibits the disposal of common batteries. And for those of you who thought composting was optional, think again. Then there’s the shot where the man is arrested for using the wrong light bulbs and the ban on the disposal of plastic bottles, already mentioned on this blog. The ad also highlights the preferential treatment given to “green” cars and mentions the growing popularity of Styrofoam bans. [...]