Banning Polystyrene Foam Containers

The most abundant type of non-cigarette litter is foamed polystyrene ("Styrofoam"). This foamed plastic never fully biodegrades. Since foamed polystyrene is light weight it can easily travel through gutters and storm drains, eventually reaching the ocean. In the marine environment, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller particles that absorb toxic chemicals, are ingested by wildlife, and enter the food chain that we depend on. Visit our Plastic Pollution page for more information on the impacts of plastic..

Polystyrene is a threat to communities for several reasons: (1) Polystyrene contains toxic chemicals that can leach out of the material into hot foods and beverages that humans consume; (2) In most cities, polystyrene cannot be recycled and it is not compostable; (3) Polystyrene never fully biodegrades and thus easily become litter, costing communities economically and environmentally.

For these and other reasons, Save Our Shores supports local bans on Styrofoam take-out containers. Such ordinances are needed to prevent plastic pollution, save money, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which are used for the production of plastic-based materials.

Save Our Shores has been in strong support of SB 568, a bill to ban polystyrene take-out containers throughout California. It was recently suspended until 2013.

Read Clean Water Action's Fact-Sheet-on-SB-568 to find out why a ban on Styrofoam at the state level is a good idea.

There are many alternatives out there, such as recycled content cardboard containers and compostable containers. Save Our Shores would like to thank the Santa Cruz community for adopting a polystyrene take-out food container ban and hopes that other cities along the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary will take similar action.