On January 8th, the San Diego City Council of California voted again on whether to ban polystyrene foam products, and passed the 6-3 vote, passed the banned polystyrene product regulations, and will take effect 30 days later.
The passage of the ban made San Diego the largest city in California to ban foam products. The ban was initiated by Democratic City Councillor Chris Ward.
This regulation prohibits merchants from using or dispensing foamed products containing polystyrene, such as egg cartons, food containers, portable reefer containers, and the like. A variety of foam products owned by the famous plastics manufacturer Dow Chemical Company are banned.
The ban was supported by some environmental organizations and was also opposed by small restaurant operators. These operators believe that they will not be able to afford the high cost of purchasing recyclable lunch boxes. On the second poll, some Hispanic restaurant owners gathered in the town hall to express their protests.
According to the San Diego branch of the California Food and Beverage Association, after the ban is implemented, small catering companies are expected to spend 145% on the purchase of lunch boxes.
In view of the economic pressure on small restaurant owners, the City Council approved an exemption amendment while passing the ban. Restaurants with annual incomes of less than $500,000 can apply for up to a two-year exemption period.