On Tuesday, June 28th San Francisco unanimously passed an ordinance banning the sale of products made from polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, the name-brand of polystyrene produced by the Dow Chemical Company.
The law goes into effect on January 1, 2017. At which time it will be illegal to sell polystyrene packing materials like foam peanuts, day-use coolers, Styrofoam beach toys, and those trays for meat and fish packaging.
San Francisco is working towards their goal of “zero waste” by 2020. In 2007, the city prohibited the use of polystyrene for to-go restaurant food containers. Today more than 100 cities have similar laws in place restricting or banning polystyrene. Americans still use an estimated 25 billion foam cups each year.
By 2050, we are on track to have more plastic in our oceans than fish. Much of that plastic will be styrofoam.
Critics of the new ban point out that polystyrene is recyclable, that the city could make money recycling polystyrene. Though San Francisco residents can recycle polystyrene free of charge, it rarely gets recycled. Robert Reed, a local project manager for a company that helps cities manage solid waste, says that few people bring in Styrofoam, and even when they do, it’s typically not in good enough condition to be repurposed. “The few buyers who exist demand that the material be very clean,” Reed says in an email. “They don’t even want dust on it.”
Styrofoam has been a big issue for environmentalists, and this is considered a big win. It’s likely to be a model for other cities and the country going forward.
References:
- Zero Waste – Frequently Asked Questions – SF Environment
- San Francisco Ban Styrofoam Polystyrene – Mother Jones
- By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans – Study Says – Washington Post