Ban on styrofoam in San Francisco- Nation’s Toughest Anti-Styrofoam Law passed

06-Jul-16

The San Francisco County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a ban on the sale of polystyrene foam, popularly known by the trademarked name Styrofoam. Foam packing, cups and mooring buoys will be prohibited with effect from Jan. 1, 2017.
Board of Supervisors President London Breed spearheaded the latest ban, extending a 2006 ordinance that ordered prepared-food merchants to stop using all polystyrene containers. Plastic foam products for crafts and insulation will not be affected by the ban. “The reason why this was passed is that it’s not practically recyclable, causes a unique harm in the environment and there were better alternatives,” Jack Macy, commercial zero waste senior coordinator for San Francisco’s Department of the Environment, told TakePart.

Critics of the ban said it will hurt supermarkets that use polystyrene trays for meat by not giving them enough time to make a switch to other food-safe packaging. The Board of Supervisors granted grocers a six-month waiver, however, to find eco-friendly packaging for meats and fish. The polystyrene ban is part of San Francisco’s comprehensive zero-waste plan. Taxing cigarette purchases to fund cleaning cigarette butts off sidewalks and requiring new buildings to have water-bottle filling stations are some of the city’s other environmental policy initiatives.