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Ban More Foam in San Francisco

08 • 01 • 2016

Ban More Foam in San Francisco

Broaden San Francisco's existing expanded polystyrene ordinance, to ban more foam in the city and county of San Francisco.

In 2016, Surfrider's San Francisco Chapter successfully advocated for the expansion of San Francisco's existing expanded polystyrene ordinance.  The San Francisco Board of Commissioners adopted the revised ordinance on second reading in July 2016.  Previously, San Francisco had banned the use of polystyrene in to-go food containers. However, this new revised ordinance makes it the strictest foam ordinance in the U.S., prohibiting the sale of food service ware made from polystyrene foam, and food service ware that's either non-recyclable or non-compostable (for example, meat trays or egg cartons that are non-recyclable). The ordinance also prohibits the sale of polystyrene products that are not wholly encapsulated or encased within a sturdier and more durable material, including packing materials such as packing peanuts; coolers; ice chests; pool toys; beach toys; dock floats; mooring buoys; and navigation markers, that aren't encapsulated.