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State Bill to Ban Polystyrene Food Packaging

A bill winding its way through state government seeks to ban the use of expanded polystyrene (commonly yet incorrectly referred to as Styrofoam) in food containers. With the exception of raw meat packaging, the ban would apply to packaging materials for any food that has been “served, packaged, cooked, chopped, sliced, mixed, brewed, frozen, squeezed, or otherwise prepared for consumption.”

A December 2004 report to the state legislature prepared by the state’s Integrated Waste Management Board pegged the total amount of expanded polystyrene for consumer use at 166,135 tons annually. This includes packaging for food service, drinking cups, and packaging materials for consumer goods. While a few companies operate recycling facilities for bulk users, no consumer-level polystyrene recycling program exists in the state.

SB 568 was passed by the Senate in June on a 21-15 vote. A revised version of the bill was sent to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations last week. If passed and signed into law, the bill would take effect January 1, 2016, for all food suppliers except school districts, who would have extra time to phase out the foam or develop a recycling program.

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A bill winding its way through state government seeks to ban the use of expanded polystyrene (commonly yet incorrectly referred to as Styrofoam) in food containers. With the exception of raw meat packaging, the ban would apply to packaging materials for any food that has been “served, packaged, cooked, chopped, sliced, mixed, brewed, frozen, squeezed, or otherwise prepared for consumption.”

A December 2004 report to the state legislature prepared by the state’s Integrated Waste Management Board pegged the total amount of expanded polystyrene for consumer use at 166,135 tons annually. This includes packaging for food service, drinking cups, and packaging materials for consumer goods. While a few companies operate recycling facilities for bulk users, no consumer-level polystyrene recycling program exists in the state.

SB 568 was passed by the Senate in June on a 21-15 vote. A revised version of the bill was sent to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations last week. If passed and signed into law, the bill would take effect January 1, 2016, for all food suppliers except school districts, who would have extra time to phase out the foam or develop a recycling program.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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