Countywide styrofoam ban begins next spring

As climate change and environmental degradation affect our planet in worse ways every year, we are called to examine our impact on the natural world around us – especially in our own backyard ecosystems.

Many human impacts to the environment are unseen – air and water pollution, for instance – but others are glaringly obvious. Chief among them is the trash we generate, particularly trash made of styrofoam.

In September, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance banning food and beverage containers made of polystyrene, better known as styrofoam, starting in May 2020. This means that items like restaurant take-out containers used or sold in unincorporated Contra Costa County will have to be made from recyclable material. Currently, 10 out of the 19 cities in the county have already adopted a similar ordinance.

Polystyrene produces hydrofluorocarbons, one contributing factor in the hole in the ozone layer. Additionally, styrene, the main component of polystyrene, is known to be a possible human carcinogen. These chemicals can leach from the container into the food or beverages being held and are then ingested.

Finally, polystyrene is not biodegradable. It is cost-prohibitive to recycle and breaks into micro particles that can persist in the environment for generations. These long-lasting contaminants often find their way to creeks and waterways, where they are harmful to native plant and animal species.

This new ordinance will reduce the amount of polystyrene in our creeks and waterways. The Contra Costa Flood Control and Water Conservation District will save up to $750,000 in creek clean-up costs annually. These savings demonstrate the far-reaching impact polystyrene containers have on municipal agencies both in staff time and fiscal resources.

I look forward to this ordinance’s implementation in May. I know that change can be hard, but I feel it is our responsibility to do what we can to improve our environment for ourselves and future generations.
For more information about the polystyrene ban, visit cccounty.us/polyban.

Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to Mitchoff at supervisormitchoff@bos.cccounty.us