San Francisco to ban styrofoam use
by food vendors

By Angela Hokanson, Bay City News Service

June 27, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin today introduced legislation at the board of supervisors meeting that would ban plastic foam materials -- commonly known as Styrofoam -- from being used as disposable food containers by city departments, as well as restaurants and food vendors within the city.

The ordinance would add a section to the city's environment code prohibiting the use of polystyrene foam for disposable food containers such as cups, trays, bowls, and cartons. Polystyrene foam is known to have harmful environmental effects and possibly dangerous health effects as well, according to the legislation.

Polystyrene foam "is a notorious pollutant that breaks down into smaller, non-biodegradable pieces that are ingested by marine life and other wildlife thus harming or killing them," the legislation reads. There is also no easy way to recycle polystyrene foam, according to the legislation.

Styrene, a component of polystyrene, is also a suspected carcinogen, the ordinance states.

The ban would apply to city departments and contractors and lessees of the city, as well as restaurants and retail food vendors located within the city.

These establishments would be required to use disposable food service products and utensils that are made from more biodegradable and compostable materials, unless no such affordable materials exist.

The city administrator would compile and maintain a list of permissible alternative materials to substitute for plastic foam materials.

Peskin thanked the members of the Oakland City Council, who recently passed a similar ban on plastic foam materials, for their initiative on the issue. The city of Berkeley has had a similar ban on polystyrene foam in place since 1990, according to Peskin's proposed ordinance. San Francisco's legislation on the topic is "long overdue," Peskin said.

If the legislation passes, the ban would go into effect on the first day of January in 2007.

Copyright © 2006 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

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