Dart mobilizes to fight Philly PS ban

Dart Container Corp. is enlisting its workers in Lancaster, Pa., to help fight a proposed polystyrene foodservice packaging ban 70 miles away in Philadelpia. According to this story and video on lancasteronline.com, dozens of Dart workers will participate in a May 1 company-chartered bus trip to attend a city council committee hearing on the proposal, which also calls for a 25 cent tax on plastic bags. Dart is taking the threat seriously, according to the story:

If the "Food Service Waste Reduction" ordinance passes, creating the first such ban in Pennsylvania, the company estimates it could lose 15 percent of its sales, leading to layoffs. Worse, with Philadelphia setting a precedent, other municipalities across the state might follow suit, intensifying the damage at Dart, company officials said. "Everybody is scared to death," said [Susan] Leftwich, of Lancaster, a quality control inspector and 13-year employee. She called the proposal "the No. 1 topic" of conversation among the company's 1,700 workers here [in Lancaster].

Supporters of the PS tax also plan to attend the hearing. They're asking for people to bring "piles of plastic bag litter, signs, and most importantly, other supporters." It will be interesting to see which side brings a bigger crowd, and whether the crowd will have an impact on the committee's decision.