Los Gatos On The Bandwagon To Ban Styrofoam In Favor Of Other That Require More Fossil Fuel To Manufacture And Ship Will Cutting Into Food Supplies

Group wants Los Gatos, Saratoga restaurants to ban Styrofoam
By Judy Peterson

Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Posted: 04/01/2009 02:06:46 PM PDT

The West Valley Green Leaf Committee has Los Gatos and Saratoga restaurant, deli and cafe owners in its sights. The group is launching a campaign to eliminate the use of polystyrene containers that are used for takeout food orders and leftovers.

Polystyrene is also known by the trademarked name Styrofoam.

"We can recycle Styrofoam, but there's rarely a market for it," Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page said, "so it often ends up in landfills."

Instead of polystyrene, Page and the Green Leaf Committee want restaurants to use containers that are recyclable, biodegradable or compostable.

However the American Chemistry Council would undoubtedly oppose a legislative ban.

That's what happened in Monterey.

"All the evidence shows bans not only constitute a waste of tax dollars, but drive recessionary pressures and hurt small businesses — all with no proven benefit to the environment," the chemistry council's Mike Levy said in a prepared statement.

Monterey banned polystyrene last month. Carmel, Capitola, Santa Cruz and more than two dozen other California cities have enacted full or partial polystyrene bans.

Read the full story here.