BAN THE FOAM: SUPPORT AB 1358
Support AB 1358 [Assembly members Hill, Nava]
Safe & Sustainable Takeout Food Packaging Act
The Problem: Polystyrene foam (PS), (commonly known as Styrofoam®) is pervasive in the environment, is extremely damaging throughout its lifecycle, and is rarely recycled. Workers in polystyrene products manufacturing are exposed to many harmful
chemicals, including Styrene, Toluene, Xylene, Acetone, Methyl Chloride, and Methyl Ketone. Occupational exposure to Styrene increases risk of lymphoma, leukemia, lung tumors, pancreatic cancer, urinary bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal
cancer. High rates of neurotoxicological effects have been reported in workers. Public health is impacted by the use of polystyrene food containers. Styrene can migrate from polystyrene containers into food and beverages when heated, or in contact
with fatty or acidic foods. Styrene residues are found in 100% of all samples of human fat tissue.
The Environment is inundated with polystyrene. Plastics comprise 90 percent of floating marine debris. A study of beach debris at 43 sites along the Orange County coast found PS was the second most abundant form of beach debris. Because it is
lightweight and floats, PS is easily swept from streets and through storm drains out to the ocean. In the environment, the containers break down into smaller and smaller pieces and are easily mistaken for food by marine animals. PS food containers cannot be recycled, and other types of PS packaging (shipping materials) are rarely recycled.
Local jurisdictions spend millions cleaning litter. Caltrans spends approximately $60 million a year to remove litter and debris from roadsides and highways, The County of Los Angeles (L.A.) spends $18 million annually on litter cleanup and education. Since
2001, Southern California cities have spent in excess of $1.7 billion cleaning trash out of storm drain systems leading to the L.A. River and Ballona Creek in order to comply with stormwater regulations.
The Solution: AB 1358 will support a switch to safer and more sustainable take-out food packaging choices. It will ban the use of polystyrene foam food packaging in California, following the lead of at least 20 CA cities and counties that have already
enacted bans. This is a proven remedy to a pervasive and expensive local problem requiring that its use be replaced with sustainable alternatives. For example, two years after passage of the San Francisco ordinance that prohibits the use of PS foodware, San Francisco’s annual litter audit showed a 36% decrease in PS litter.
Support AB 1358!
