(New York City) Sanitation Dept. Wants Styrofoam Use To-Go

[alp227]

Source: NY1

Styrofoam containers could soon be scrapped from all restaurants in the city if the Department of Sanitation has its way.

The department's recycling expert, Ron Gonen, said the city is discussing the possibility of banning use of polystyrene foam, commonly known as Styrofoam, as it considers ways to double the city's recycling rate.

The Department of Sanitation has said that recycling Styrofoam is too expensive, and environmentalists have long complained that Styrofoam takes years to break down in landfills.

"We are looking at a lot of things," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "One of the things you may want to do, and a lot of other places have, is ban things like Styrofoam that don't, whatever the term is, degrade quickly in landfills."

Read more: http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/176645/sanitation-dept--wants-styrofoam-use-to-go

[silverweb]

1. About time!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I hope they ban it. It is a toxic nightmare. n/t

[DLnyc]

3. I don't think it is really that hard to recycle.

There are centers that recycle it (dissolve it and then reform into new styrofoam). There just aren't any in New York City.

New York City, in my opinion, has a shocking combination of a HUGE potential for recycling plus a PATHETIC amount of actual recycling.

Very of typical of Mike the Imperious to think of banning things rather than working out a way to use them.

[loudsue]

5. That's bullshit. Styrofoam is extremely toxic in the environment.

It gets in the water (streams, lakes, rivers) and fish and turtles eat it, and they die a horrible death. I've seen it.

Some people are STILL putting styrofoam in microwave ovens to re-heat their left-overs (doggie bags), because the restaurants send them home with leftovers in styrofoam containers, and the public takes for granted that it's safe....they hear how LIBERAL everything is and how much money the government spends on REGULATIONS, so the public thinks nothing done by the corporations is dangerous because the government is the "nanny state". Corporate America doesn't put it all over the news just how toxic that shit is, and how the chemicals leach into the food, ESPECIALLY when placed in a microwave oven. The styrofoam industry is WEALTHY to the point that their lobbyists don't allow the truth of the mess to come out.

Our citizens are being killed daily by corporate America, and nothing is being done. Women are losing their babies. Cancer is rampant. And the republicans have the masses convinced that the environment and chemicals are NOT to blame. Anymore than assault rifles are to blame for all the mass killings.

Did I mention how appalling unregulated capitalism is?

[DLnyc]

6. I hear your pain.

But my point was that styrofoam CAN be recycled:

". . . Although the polystyrene used in meat trays cannot be recycled, the polystyrene used in shipping boxes, to protect the items inside, can be readily recycled. . . ."

http://www.recyclingnj.com/recycle/polystyrene.html

(for example)

Although economies of scale would imply that New York City could have a very extensive recycling program, it fails to recycle styrofoam, most types of plastics and compostable food scraps, to name just a few.

[A Little Weird]

12. recycling styrofoam

The nearest recycler I've been able to find is over 50 miles away, but they won't take food containers. Even the places that take packing materials often won't accept stuff from private individuals.

I read estimates that styrofoam is taking up 25-30% of our landfill space and a styrofoam cup takes 500 years to degrade. When burned, styrofoam releases hazardous chemicals. I don't think the product has any redeeming qualities other than being incredibly cheap to produce.

A ban on styrofoam would be a wonderful thing!

[DLnyc]

13. A ban on styrofoam would be a wonderful thing!

In the meantime, some central locations in large cities to collect existing styrofoam and keep it out of landfills would be a positive step, I think.

[LanternWaste]

14. Odd the apparent discrepancy...

Odd the apparent discrepancy...

"A ban on styrofoam would be a wonderful thing!"

"Very of typical of Mike the Imperious to think of banning things rather than working out a way to use them..."

[DLnyc]

15. You win. My point is worthless.

Please move on.

[apocalypsehow]

7. I admire your passion - you express it very well. n/t.

[SunSeeker]

4. K&R

[ErikJ]

8. HAHA-our city did that 10 or 15 years ago!

I didnt realize the rest of the USA was still living in the foam age!

[KurtNYC]

11. Nelson Muntz ?

[freshwest]

9. Get rid of it. There are plenty of substitutes. Good move.

I live in an area that is extreme on the recycling, conservation, alternative energy, etc. You have to personally transport styrofoam to one place in the entire state to get it recycled.

Everything else from batteries, plastic, glass, metals, well, everything is recycled. The city got rid of styrofoam in restaurants and they simply put the food in compostable cardboard. And we're phasing out plastic bags at the grocery stores, although we can recycle them too. They still cause problems.

The emphasis is on bring your own bag or container or take what you need from a store without a bag, and eliminating paper. No reason to keep styrofoam.

After all, we're not too stupid to change, are we?

[valerief]

10. Bravo! nt