In case you missed it, a recent article from The Beach Reporter explored the ramifications of a ban of polystyrene use for meat trays in the City of Manhattan Beach.
From the article:
But the city may be caught on a meat hook when it comes to polystyrene.
Local officials are seeking to ban foam meat trays, a move environmentalists overwhelmingly support.
But there may be unforeseen outcomes, such as more trash and the discontinuation of certain products offered in Manhattan Beach, according to grocery industry experts.
City officials postponed a decision on the meat tray ban, citing concerns from CGA’s local government expert, Tim James.
Quoted in the article, James pointed to the lack of process and outreach conducted by Manhattan Beach:
The city hasn’t done the outreach to understand this and that’s why we ask them for a significant delay to walk them through these conversations. Last night there was a lot of misinformation presented and so we feel they are not making a decision based on accurate, real-world information, hence the request for the delay.
CGA is also cited in the report as James explained the drawbacks of pushing grocery retailers into alternatives that are not feasible.
An outright ban on polystyrene would push grocers to use compostable food packaging which just becomes trash because Manhattan Beach cannot properly dispose of it. You’re just trading out one piece of trash for another with zero environmental
The Council next met to discuss the issue on March 6, where CGA was able to secure an delayed timeline for implementation of Jan. 1, 2020 — along with the ability to apply for an additional one-year waiver.