City of South Lake Tahoe takes first look at ban of Styrofoam

Throwaway polystyrene coffee cups, soup bowls, plates, trays, meat packing trays, egg cartons, to-go boxes and packing peanuts are already a thing of the past in cities across the country, and South Lake Tahoe might soon have their name on that list.

City Council members heard a presentation at their October 17 meeting, testing the waters to see if there is a desire to eliminate or limit the use of Polystyrene within the City limits.

Single use plastic bags in grocery stores were banned in South Lake Tahoe in 2013 and recently made a pledge to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2032.

Polystyrene is a synthetic aromatic polymer made from monomer styrene, commonly known by the name Styrofoam, the Dow Chemical product for a closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam. While many may not know the chemical makeup, they are aware that polystyrene is rarely recycled due it being a toxic and expensive procedure, is an environmental pollutant and is harmful when used in a microwave. The material is one of the “most widely used plastics” in the country and is not biodegradable.

Several speakers came to South Lake Tahoe for the meeting from San Luis Obispo, a city that banned expanded polystyrene (also known as EPS) on June 16, 2015. The ordinance prohibits the retail sale of any EPS product not encased in a more durable material such as disposable foam coolers, cups, plates, bowls and packing peanuts. They allow food packaged outside the city to be made with EPS and foam trays for uncooked meats. San Francisco has banned the foam trays and egg cartons, pool toys, coolers and food ware.

The Council will look into creating an ordinance on banning the material and will talk to local grocery stores, meat markets and the public. There is a survey on line the City would like the public to participate in as they also survey community groups and organizations to identify their opinion of eliminating or limiting the use of Polystyrene within the City Limits.

Take Survey Here.