{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"}],"id":30862,"title":"New York City Bans Styrofoam – Should More Cities?","html_content":"

by Causes | 7.8.19

What’s the story?

New York City has begun enforcing its ban on styrofoam, fining violators $250 for the first offense, $500 for a second, and $1000 for three or more.
The ban took effect on January 1, 2019, but the city gave restaurants and businesses a six month grace period to discontinue the use of styrofoam food containers and packing peanuts.
The Big Apple banned styrofoam, also known as polystyrene, because it can’t be “recycled in a manner that is economically feasible” or “environmentally effective” in its recycling program, according to the Department of Sanitation.

What are people saying?

Supporters

\"New York City's ban on styrofoam is long overdue, and New Yorkers are ready to start using recyclable alternatives,\" New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said when he announced the ban.

\"There's no reason to continue allowing this environmentally unfriendly substance to flood our streets, landfills and waterways.\"

New York City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia had also welcomed the planned ban.

“As we had previously determined, plain and simple, expanded polystyrene cannot be recycled, and we are pleased that the court decision will allow us to remove this problematic material from our waste stream. This necessary step will help us as we continue to move towards our goal of sending zero waste to landfills.”

Critics

Jeff Stier, a senior fellow at the Consumer Choice Center, wrote in the National Review that the ban would be “a job-killing, working-class-punishing, environmentally unnecessary scam.”
Stier added that research expounding the virtues of cutting down on plastic waste “ignores the food waste or, worse, food-borne illness caused by using alternatives that lack styrofoam's ability to keep cold food cold and hot food hot.”

What do you think?

Do you support bans on Styrofoam and other single-use plastics? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: iStock / wingedwolf)

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Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":44430,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1513,"following_count":81,"position_count":538,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":945913,"body":"We should follow in the footsteps of countries trying to make a difference in the amount of trash going into landfills and the ocean. Single use plastics should have never been created and will never decompose. It's up to us to end our use of them as soon as possible. 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