As managing editor of Emeryville, Calif., is the newest city to ban polystyrene food service products from local restaurants, according to this story from the Oakland, Calif., Tribune. The city council passed an ordinance on Tuesday. The law says restaurants can only use food containers that are biodegradable or recyclable.
As I've noted before, these anti-PS proposals are catching on in California because of the marine debris issue.
"I think we need to be better environmental stewards and take some measures to protect our resources," said Vice Mayor Ruth Atkin, who proposed the change. "I participated for years in our shoreline cleanups, and the little tiny bits of Styrofoam end up getting stuck in the rocks. It's impossible to collect all that stuff. It gets stuck in the nooks and crannies, and birds ingest them."
Restaurants will have to comply by Jan. 1. Fines will start at $100, and go up to $400 for repeat offenses. Oakland and San Francisco have similar laws on the books.
Bob Canter, president of the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce, made sure all its members were notified of the proposed ban, but has heard nary a word about it, yea or nay.
According to the story, many restaurants in Emeryville already have dropped PS food service products.
Comments (1)
Seems to me that individuals are the greatest contibutors to the debris/waste stream. I guess the city council is not up to working on root causes.
Posted by george s. upton | March 26, 2007 8:20 AM
Posted on March 26, 2007 08:20