CA Senate votes to ban Styrofoam containers at vendors
Starting on July 1, 2016, restaurants in the state of California would no longer be able to offer their customers Styrofoam® containers, if the bill passed by the California State Senate last Thursday becomes law. The State Senate voted 21-15 to prohibit vendors (restaurants and grocery stores) from using polystyrene containers. Schools would have to comply by July 1, 2017.
According to the Wikipedia article, discarded polystyrene does not biodegrade for hundreds of years and is resistant to photolysis. Polystyrene foam is a major component of plastic debris in the ocean where it becomes toxic to marine life. Expanded polystyrene foam accounts for 15% of storm drain litter, according to the California Department of Transportation and is often mistaken for food or prey by seabirds, fish marine mammals and sea turtles. The majority of polystyrene products are not recycled.
The bill introduced by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) has been criticized by commerce leaders who say that the bill threatens thousands of manufacturing jobs.
Over 50 California cities have their own bans on polystyrene.
The bill is ready to go to the Assembly this month, and a floor vote is expected by the end of August.
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