San Francisco on Tuesday adopted the nation鈥檚 most extensive ban on Styrofoam, according to the supervisors who sponsored the legislation. The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to outlaw polystyrene foam, better known by its brand name, as it relates from everything from egg cartons to buoys as of Jan. 1, 2017. The old legislation, enacted in 2007, banned the product as it related to food packaging.
Now most every product made of Styrofoam 鈥� down to the beach coolers sold at the grocery store 鈥� are now forbidden in San Francisco. Penalties range from $100 for the first violation to $500 for the third and each subsequent violation, according to the board. The hope, city leaders say, is that more companies will begin using organic and compostable packaging materials.
The reaction was swift on both sides. “Awesome!,” wrote Kassondra Grayson. “If only the rest of the state would follow.” On the other side, came this rhetorical question from Mariah Smith: “What can you do in San Francisco?”
More than 100 U.S. cities and many states have ordinances restricting polystyrene food service ware and packaging materials. But San Francisco now has the “most expansive Styrofoam prohibitions in the country,” said Board of Supervisor President London Breed, who introduced the legislation on Earth Day in April along with Supervisor Aaron Peskin.
“The science is clear,” Breed said in a statement at the time. “This stuff is an environmental and public health pollutant, and we have to reduce its use. There are ample cost effective alternatives to Styrofoam on the market.”
Some industry groups have criticized the crackdown on polystyrene foam, saying it’s still the most reliable form of packaging, and that environmental efforts aren’t as great as supporters contend.
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