polystyrene ban

In an article published by the Miami Herald last week, contributors Jacqueline Charles and Curtis Morgan report that the Haitian government has banned plastic bags and polystyrene containers, with the legislation set to go into effect from today, October 1st. The legislation includes the sale of, importation of, and marketing of both plastic bags polystyrene containers. According to Charles and Morgan:

In a disappointing conclusion to a prolonged debate, California's efforts to pass a bag ban have failed once again, with insufficient support created in the legislature to ensure its passage. According to an article posted on the Plastics News website yesterday, the California Legislature ended its session on August 31st with no Assembly vote on a potential polystyrene ban, and no comment from the Senate on a proposed plastic bag ban.

In an article posted on the Green Life Online's website on Monday, contributor Jeff Gang writes that thanks to the petition of ten year old Mia Hansen, smoothie seller Jamba Juice has pledged to do away with styrofoam cups by the year 2013. According to the article, "she started a petition online, asking Jamba Juice to stop using styrofoam cups. This is where the story gets cool. It went viral — and more than 130,000 people ended up signing on." Jamba Juice responded within three weeks agreeing to switch over to a sustainable alternative by 2013.

An article on California's San Jose Mercury News today reports that the city of Cupertino is currently considering implementing a bag ban and a polystyrene ban in a matter of years. According to columnist Matt Wilson, the city council debated the issues in a two hour long session on August 6th in response to a government imposed trash reduction plan. The plan, which requires Cupertino and a number of other municipalities must show that they have cut trash by 40% as of July 4th, 2014. According to the article,

In a story on the Huffington Post today, Matthew Spiegl reports on a ban that was set to be enacted by the city of San Jose, California which would have eliminated polystyrene to-go containers.

The [United States city of] Santa Cruz [California] County Board of Supervisors today gave approval in concept to an ordinance prohibiting the sale of most polystyrene foam products in the unincorporated county.  The ordinance bans the sale of polystyrene foam cups, plates, bowls, coolers and beach toys, among other items, but exempts products such as surfboards, construction materials or food products which are packaged outside of the county.