PS foodservice wins this round

Union City, Calif., appears to be ground zero in the debate over polystyrene foodservice products. According to this story from The Argus in Fremont, Calif., the city council in Union City reversed course on a plan to ban plastic foam packaging, in a dramatic vote on July 8.

Here's a taste of the story:

For two weeks Union City stood alone atop a green pedestal as the plastic-foam-busting king of the Tri-City area. On June 24, its council voted to prohibit restaurants from using plastic-foam takeout containers, becoming only the 15th city in the state to do so.

But before a new law becomes official, the council must pass it twice. And the second vote, which usually is just a formality, was anything but that Tuesday night.

Councilman Manny Fernandez switched sides, deciding to oppose the ban. With Councilman Richard Valle recusing himself, the council mustered only two yes votes -- one shy of the three needed to approve the ban.

It looks like Union City will try recycling PS foodservice products instead of banning them. It will be interesting to see how that turns out. PS is recyclable, but getting it done without some recyclers losing their shirts might be tough.