SACRAMENTO, Calif. ? A bill to ban expanded polystyrene containers has been introduced in the California Assembly, MSNBC reports. The measure would forbid grocery stores, restaurants and other vendors, including convenience stores, from putting takeaway food in Styrofoam.
State Sen. Alan Lowenthal?s proposal would make California the first to implement a statewide polystyrene ban. Exemptions include school districts and any city or county that has a recycling program for more than 60 percent of polystyrene waste.
Lowenthal said the foam containers litter beaches, sewers and streets. ?It's not biodegradable, it's not compostable, and if it's in the water for a long time, it breaks up into small beads and lasts for thousands of years. It costs millions to clean up beaches,? said Lowenthal.�
Restaurateurs are not happy about the proposal, citing the flimsiness and higher cost of biodegradable containers. ?We put cheese on those omelets. And when we put the cheese on, it's really hot and bubbly and it goes right through the biodegradable stuff,? said Gary Honeycutt of BJ?s Kountry Kitchen, which goes through around 26,000 foam clamshells annually. If the bill passes, Honeycutt predicts his expenses will rise two-fold.
Currently, more than 50 cities and counties in California, including San Francisco, already prohibit expanded polystyrene containers. Other localities with similar laws include Suffolk County, New York, and Freeport, Maine.
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