Styrofoam banned in Calabasas
Approval eliminates damaging food packaging

By Joann Groff  joann@theacorn.com

Following the lead of cities such as Santa Monica and Malibu, Calabasas officials have voted to ban polystyrene food packaging in the city.

The ordinance passed the City Council unanimously and will be officially adopted next week.

Effective one year from adoption Feb. 21, the ordinance says food service businesses must use environmentally acceptable packaging materials instead of polystyrene, also known by its brand name, Styrofoam.

The approval was met with both criticism and praise.

Samantha Martinez of the American Chemistry Council, who has pushed for a recycling effort as opposed to a ban, said she was disappointed.

"When the city first started to discuss this, we were very excited because we thought you were looking at some innovative ways of dealing with the critical issues of recycling and of litter," Martinez said. "But we are a little disappointed because we don't think this ordinance accomplished either, or does it really provide any environmental benefits."

Ronit Levy, chairman of the Calabasas Environmental Commission, supported the ban.

"There are ways to avoid littering, but we aren't there yet," Levy said. "We may never be. We share our garbage with the ocean. We cannot catch the flying polystyrene as it goes into the ocean. It's inevitable. . . .We have to make sure that product is totally banned."

City staff members met with representatives from the California Grocers Association, the California Restaurant Association, Gelson's Supermarket and others to talk about concerns.

Jennifer Forkish, spokesperson for the grocers association, opposed the ban for economic reasons.

"We believe alternatives to polystyrene products are not only less effective, but can also cost up to three times more," Forkish said. "The cost for replacing even a few items will undoubtedly be passed on to the consumer. The main reason we do not support product bans, however, is that we believe that they do not reduce the human choice to litter."

The ordinance also states that polystyrene won't be used in any city-sponsored events within the boundaries of Calabasas.

"If we are going to participate in a party, then we want the party to have the values our parties have," Levy said. "If there are going to be food packaging materials, we want them to share our vision, share our values."

Councilmember Barry Groveman asked Levy to work with the environmental commission to draw up recommendations to help fight littering and to see who else could give littering tickets besides police officers.

Councilmember Jonathon Wolfson asked the commission what to do about polystyrene not restricted in the ordinance, such as that coming from outside the city.

Resident Michael Friedman participated in cleaning up Dry Canyon Creek recently and said he was amazed by the amount of polystyrene found in the waters.

"I just wanted to make it known that the reason we support this ban is that whether people are throwing things out or not, they are going into the water. I saw it personally," Friedman said.

"This is about reducing the raw amount of polystyrene within city limits," Friedman said.

In June 2006, the council heard a presentation on Malibu's ban on polystyrene and requested a survey of local businesses that would be impacted if a similar ordinance were enacted in Calabasas.

In October, survey results were presented and feedback, both positive and negative, was received from the community. Hearings followed and several revisions to the ordinance were made.

The ordinance will be reviewed after one year for a progress update.