Highland Park, Ill., could ban restaurants from using polystyrene foam cups, bowls and plates under a proposal that gets five stars from environmentalists but is opposed by some retailers because of the cost.
The product – a form of plastic commonly referred to by the trademarked name Styrofoam – is lightweight and good at keeping food hot or cold, but it takes hundreds of years to biodegrade in landfills.
"As far as I know, Highland Park would be the only one in the Midwest" to enact such a ban, said Bill Bogot, chairman of the city's Environmental Commission.
Dozens of West Coast communities have banned the use of polystyrene foam, although California officials dropped a proposal to prohibit it statewide last year because of fear it would harm businesses. Restaurateurs dubbed it "Foam Fight 2009" and warned that it would force them to raise prices.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA).
