Council decides to abolish Styrofoam from city

Andrew Edwards

Styrofoam cups will soon be barred from city functions in Laguna

Beach, and eventually may be prohibited in restaurants.

The City Council approved the anti-Styrofoam measure April 20,

with members citing their desire to protect Laguna’s coastline. City

Council members discussed the Styrofoam ban along with a proposal to

prohibit smoking on public beaches, which they also approved in a

preliminary form.

Council members voted 4-0 to approve Mayor Cheryl Kinsman’s

resolution prohibiting the use of polystyrene, the plastic popularly

known as Styrofoam, in city offices and at city-sponsored events.

The proposal would also extend to anyone renting city property,

forcing them to refrain from using items made from polystyrene.

Since 1990, the city has required new restaurants to avoid using

Styrofoam when business permits are handed out, but eateries that

have been around longer than that regulation can still use

polystyrene cups and dishes.

City Council members want to ban Styrofoam in all restaurants, but

officials do not yet know if the city has a mandate to go that far.

“We have the city attorney looking into whether we can do this,”

Kinsman said.

Kinsman got the idea from San Clemente Mayor Susan Ritschel at a

meeting of south Orange County mayors in March, she said.

Kinsman wanted council members to consider the ban to keep

polystyrene out of the ocean and away from fish and birds who

occasionally try to eat small bits of the plastic.

“To me, it’s not just water quality, it’s animals,” Kinsman said.

“I like animals.”

Polystyrene is recyclable, but like other plastics, is not

biodegradable.

The long life of discarded plastics is a problem frequently

discussed by environmental advocates, and according to the Long

Beach-based Algalita Marine Research Foundation, less than 5% of

plastics are recycled.

Plastic manufacturers paint a different picture of the situation,

and the national Polystyrene Packaging Council cites figures that

less than 1% of solid trash in landfills is polystyrene.

But like cigarette butts, Styrofoam does not always make it to the

landfill.

“Both Styrofoam and cigarette butts are a large percentage of

whatever items are collected when you do a beach cleanup,” said Rick

Wilson, chairman of the Laguna Beach chapter of the Surfrider

Foundation.

City departments have until July 1 to stop using Styrofoam, Asst.

City Manager John Pietig said. Styrofoam-free rental agreements will

be enforced by Sept. 2.

Pietig said he did not see any substantial issues for city

agencies as they implement the new rules.

“Most of the departments, I think, are already in compliance,” he

said.

If the City Council eventually manages to ban polystyrene from all

restaurants, one place that will have to change its ways will be

Sammy’s Burgers and Subs, which serves drinks in Styrofoam cups.

Sammy’s employee, Wally Abousaleh, said it would be easy to obey

any new ban.

“Just buy new cups,” he said.