Going “green” and being eco-friendly is becoming the most common trend in the modern age of the labeling and packaging industry. In the past, we have discussed various organizations that have either changed their products’ packaging or changed the labeling technology to decrease waste and pollution. Now, it seems the state of California’s government may have created the latest trend relating to the packaging industry.
Last Thursday, the California state Senate passed a bill to ban restaurants and food vendors from dispensing prepared foods in polystyrene foam, more commonly known as Styrofoam.
Polystyrene foam is commonly found in restaurants and is designed to be utilized as a container for customers to use for their leftovers. Also, fast-food and small vendors commonly use the foam for milkshake containers and other food/drink items. Once the containers are discarded, the foam normally finds its way into the streets, the sewer system, and eventually off to sail into the deep blue ocean.
According to the California Department of Transportation, polystyrene foam accounts for about 15 percent of all storm-drain littering and is also considered the second-most-common type of trash found on the beaches of California.
The main reason for this bill, according to the state director of Clean Water Action, Miriam Gordon, is that “There are all these jurisdictions in California that have to control trash and reduce their disadvantages of trash to waterways, and they’re having a hard time complying because foam litter is so hard to control.”
After the bill passed the state Senate last Thursday, the plan is to head to the state Assembly sometime this month, with a vote to the floor by the end of August 2011.
What kind of impact do you think this bill will have on organizations which produce polystyrene foam?
Do you think other states in the U.S. will start to adopt the same California polystyrene foam ban on prepared foods? Let us know what you think; we would love to hear your input.