Prompted by restaurant industry lawsuit, city will conduct thorough environmental analysis
The new law is forcing restaurants to change food packaging or scramble for city waivers
City officials did not issue a news release announcing their decision to temporarily delay enforcement of the ban.Nearly all national and regional restaurant chains long ago stopped using polystyrene in response to lobbying from environmental groups and backlash from customers concerned that foam isn’t biodegradable.But many taco shops, pizza parlors, convenience stores and other small businesses continue to use foam products to save money.
In addition to restaurant food and beverage containers, the ban would apply to polystyrene egg cartons, coolers, ice chests, pool toys, dock floats and mooring buoys. None of those cities conducted thorough environmental analyses — called Environmental Impact Reports under state law. San Diego, the largest city in the state to adopt a ban, was also the first to face a lawsuit for not doing an EIR.He said, however, that advocates for polystyrene bans have already established through previous studies that the laws have environmental benefits for communities.
“Evidence before the city when it adopted the ordinance uniformly showed that a ban on expanded polystyrene, which is recyclable, will not reduce litter or trash and will result in polystyrene foam being substituted with replacement products that have far greater environmental impacts and result in increased litter and trash,” the lawsuit says.
When the lawsuit was filed in March, city officials said they were moving forward with the ban despite the litigation.
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