Council in favor of education, but not ready for a ban
By Brooklynn Wong
Styrofoam cups, takeout food containers and coolers may soon be going the way of the plastic straw.
The Buena Park City Council had a discussion recently to consider banning those products and any others containing “expanded polystyrene foam.”
The idea was brought forth by the Beautification-Environmental Commission.
Commissioner Susan Sonne said the material “sticks around…for over 500 years,” it does not decompose, gets ingested by sea creatures and is therefore likely in a lot of the seafood that we eat, it is toxic when heated, and that there is “no reason not to use an alternative.”
Other cities, including Long Beach, have reportedly banned EPS, and any ban could be slowly phased in in stages.
City staff also pointed out that EPS does not get recycled in Buena Park, like other materials do when they’re collected and sorted.
Information was shared and no firm decision was made, but Mayor Pro Tem Fred Smith said that information about the potential harmfulness of this material should be shared, but the city should not enforce a ban.
“I’m not messing with someone else’s business,” he said.
Mayor Art Brown likewise said he’s “not ready for a ban,” but acknowledged that a ban would be “the only way you’re going to get restaurants” to comply.
The restaurant industry is a heavy user of EPS in the form of styrofoam takeout containers, and though there are alternatives, they are more expensive.
However, he said he understands the severity of the issue and is in support of educating people about it.
The Council will continue to discuss this matter.
