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Another City Says NO to Styrofoam
January 14, 2008

To kick-off the New Year, Millbrae joined several other Bay Area cities in saying NO to polystyrene or styrofoam. Styrofoam is often favored by restaurants because it’s lightweight, cheap and convenient for take-out. But it is also not biodegradable and not accepted by most curbside recycling, making it a source of litter and environmental concern.

In October, Millbrae passed the city ban, which became effective on January 1st. According to the Examiner, business owners found that recyclable containers were 35% more expensive than Styrofoam and hope costs will decrease as more cities enforce similar bans. However, some businesses, like Yumi Yogurt, found that eliminating a bowl size helped offset the extra cost. In fact, due to positive customer responses, Yumi Yogurt has decided to make the eco-friendlier switch in all locations.

Until more cities ban Styrofoam, others are looking for ways to recycle it. Prior to the holidays, Roseville launched the region’s first polystyrene recycling program. The city is working with Timbron International, a company that turns Styrofoam into crown molding and baseboards sold at places like Home Depot. Unfortunately, this program can only take clean Styrofoam, which excludes used food containers. It’s not perfect but at least it’s a start.

CindyC at Organicpicks

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