The US polystyrene and styrene industries are concerned, but confident after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for the city to adopt a law banning expandable polystyrene foam from stores and restaurants, market sources said Friday.
"There is zero panic," a source with a polystyrene producer said. "We know exactly what we are doing."
Bloomberg's announcement did not come as a surprise, the source said, adding that it had been expected for weeks and industry lobbyists were talking to city officials about the proposed ban.
Polystyrene and styrene industry sources' main fears were that a polystyrene ban in New York City could start a trend across the US leading to less demand for polystyrene.
"There has been about 100 or so of these things across the US over the last couple of years," the source said. "What makes this different is the size of the city and the media center is huge."
At his final State of the City address Thursday, Bloomberg targeted expandable polystyrene, referring to the plastic foam by the generic name Styrofoam, which is a type of extruded polystyrene foam used as insulation and trademarked by the Dow Chemical company. Styrofoam itself is not used in the manufacture of disposable plastic foam products.
"One product that is virtually impossible to recycle and never bio-degrades is Styrofoam," Bloomberg said. "But it's not just terrible for the environment. It's terrible for taxpayers. Styrofoam increases the cost of recycling by as much as $20 per ton, because it has to be removed."
Before Bloomberg's address, the American Chemistry Council' vice president of plastics, Steve Russell, issued a statement saying, "We would welcome the opportunity to explore polystyrene foam foodservice recycling with the City."
"The technology exists to recycle polystyrene foam foodservice right now," Russell said. "California is making this work -- 22 percent of households there can recycle polystyrene foam foodservice cups, plates, bowls, clamshells and other containers at curbside (that's more than eight million people). Similar programs don't exist for other takeout foodservice."
The New York City recycling program does not accept expandable polystyrene for recycling, according to the city's Department of Sanitation. Expandable polystyrene makes up about 0.5% of the city's waste, it said.
Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco and other US cities have already banned plastic foam.
Bloomberg said expandable polystyrene is environmentally destructive, costs taxpayers money, is easily replaceable and something New Yorkers can do without.
Russell disagreed with Bloomberg's take.
"Polystyrene foam foodservice products make up less than one percent of our nation's solid waste, according to EPA," Russell said. "They use significantly less energy and water to manufacture than paper alternatives and create significantly less waste by weight and comparable waste by volume."
"Polystyrene foam foodservice products are two to five times less expensive than alternatives, which saves the City's agencies a significant amount of tax dollars," he added.
