Clean Water Action Supports Foam Packaging Ban

New Bill On Take-Out Containers Saves Money, Protects Health and Ocean

SACRAMENTO,CA - A new bill that would ban foam take-out packaging in California won support today from Clean Water Action.

Polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam ™), widely used in food take-out packaging, poisons ourbodies, contaminates local waterways, and winds up in the big Pacific "Garbage Patch." AB 1358, introduced by Assembly member Jerry Hill, proposes safer and more sustainable alternatives to polystyrene foodware and bans polystyrene food take-out containers state-wide. A hearing on the bill could come as early as March 30.

"The costs of polystyrene litter are born by all Californians - that is the health impacts of Styrene and the taxpayer dollars spent cleaning up polystyrene litter from our beaches and streets" said Miriam Gordon, California Director of Clean Water Action.

Gordon joined legislative leaders today in a press conference at the state capitol to announce the bill.

Studies show that Styrene, the primary ingredient in polystyrene, migrates from containers into food and beverages, particularly when heated or in contact with fatty or acidic foods. Styrene is a neurotoxin (causing hearing loss, spatial disorientation, and impacting balance), and is associated with increased incidence of lymphoma, leukemia and other types of cancer. This is sobering news considering that the U.S. EPA detected Styrene in 100% of people studied in a 1982 survey of human fat tissue.

Polystyrene constitutes about 15% of litter in urban areas. It's the second most common form of beach debris, according to a study of beaches in Orange County. Because it is lightweight, floats, and breaks easily into small pieces,polystyrene debris travels from land to inland waterways and out to the ocean.It is commonly mistaken for food by marine wildlife. Seabirds ingest plastic pieces and many die of starvation with stomachs full of plastic. Turtles, fish,and marine mammals die from entanglement in plastic trash. Jellyfish and other marine life that filters the water column for nutrients are becoming increasingly "plasticized" as the ocean fills with plastics that degrade to microscopic levels. Pacific Gyre samples collected by Algalita Marine Research include jellies whose body composition is 50% plastic.

The safer and more sustainable products allowed under the proposed bill would reduce environmental impacts of disposable containers. The bill requires that paper products be made of 100% post-consumer recycled paper, compostable materials (in cities that collect compost), or recyclable plastic (resin #s 1 and 2). Polystyrene food containers are not recyclable as they are considered too dirty by the recycling industry.

"The bottom lineis that some products are so harmful to public health and the environment, that they need to be banned when safer and more sustainable alternatives exist," said Gordon. Local governments have recognized the need to ban foam containers. San Francisco is one of more than 30 California jurisdictions that have banned foam take-out containers. One year after the city implemented the ban, they documented a 36% decrease in foam litter on city streets.

"The safer and more sustainable containers will become less costly once foam containers are banned state-wide," says Gordon "and that means that worker health will be improved in the food packaging industry and greener jobs will be created for Californians"