News Blog
Salinas Bans Styrofoam Take-Out Containers
August 17, 2011
The Salinas City Council said sayonara to styrofoam Tuesday night, voting 6-1 to ban polystyrene foam take-out containers from all food service establishments citywide. Salinas' efforts, as reported recently by the Weekly, follow on the heels of bans by the cities of Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Seaside, and Del Rey Oaks, as well as the unincorporated areas of Monterey County.
The once-ubiquitous foam containers used by restaurants to package leftovers have been under fire from environmentalists for years because the petroleum-based polystyrene breaks up easily and scatters into Monterey Bay, where it pollutes the water and, occasionally, the digestive systems of marine mammals who consume it.
Nearly 20 people filled City Council chambers to testify in favor of the ban, including representatives of environmental groups Save Our Shores and Surfrider Foundation, the Salinas Chamber of Commerce, and local restauranteurs who have made the switch to biodegradable take-out containers. Mayor Dennis Donohue characterized the vote as a victory for the community.
“This is important to a lot of people in the community and we have postponed this long enough,” Donohue said.
Read more of the Weekly's coverage on all things styrofoam at http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/styro/.
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