Santa Clara County may ban Styrofoam containers

[alp227]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

As part of a mounting mission to keep plastics out of waterways and landfills, Santa Clara County officials this week will consider joining cities and counties statewide that have banned polystyrene food and drink containers.

Commonly known by its brand name Styrofoam, polystyrene packaging keeps takeout food warm and milk shakes icy cold. The containers are sturdy and don't leak all over the car.

But environmentalists and waste managers say the feather-light thermoplastic petrochemical is rarely recyclable and doesn't decompose. Instead, it breaks up into tiny pieces and scatters to the wind, clogging gutters and storm drains and choking marine life.

"It is an extremely large litter problem," said former supervisor Don Gage, now board chairman of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. "I hate to be on the side of the environmentalists, but in this case I have to agree with them."

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_19183949

[AmericaIsGreat]

1. "I hate to be on the side of environmentalists"?

Wtf kind of shit is that?

[TheMadMonk]

2. Someone who prefers convenience and profit, but will "Do the right thing"...

...when forced to.

A slight improvement on most of the 1%.

[KamaAina]

9. He's a repuke

'nuf ced. :puke:

[Chipper Chat]

3. I hate to eat off styrofoam plates.

Something just isn't right and the food tastes bad. I went to Walmart* last week and needed small-sized paper plates to feed my cat on. 80% of the aisle was foam. You cant find those 100-count paper plates anymore - only foam. I had to buy colorful thick 20-count name brand ones. (I have yet to ask my cat if she too shares my disgust for foam plates.)
.
.
* - only because it's the only store in town I can find Pepsi Throwback

[Sherman A1]

4. The local gas station offers the 32oz foam drink cup

and a 32 oz plastic. I buy one of the foam ones on occasion then use it as a sleeve for the plastic ones I reuse and reuse. The foam one really does help keep the drink cold for hours and while it eventually needs to be discarded (after getting a bit to dirty) I can get about 4 weeks out of it. The others I simply put in the dishwasher, then use them again for my daily ice tea to take with me to work.

[slackmaster]

5. I'd rather see them crack down aggressively on litter pigs. They could raise a lot of money.

Those $1,000 fines can add up.

[liberal N proud]

6. I hate drinks in styrofoam

they should be banned everywhere

[pipoman]

7. So they will use plastic cups and containers instead

most of which will make it to the landfill and not the recycling bin.

[ThomThom]

8. they should encourage bring your own and refill

just like bags for groceries
to me, it is unthinkable to not bring my own bags
to others, they haven't gotten it yet

[KamaAina]

10. This is a largely symbolic vote

the county has jurisdiction only over the areas that aren't part of cities (San Jose, Sunnyvale, etc.). There's Alum Rock, east of SJ, San Martin near Gilroy, and a few random pockets here and there. It mostly means the county itself will stop using the stuff, which they could have done anyway.

Also, for some reason, the Merc has registration, but its sister paper the Oakland Tribune does not:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_19183950