Foster City to Study Styrofoam Ban

Following the county’s lead, Foster City council members agreed earlier this week to study whether to adopt an ordinance banning Styrofoam take-out containers.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors recently banned polystyrene containers in restaurants in unincorporated areas of the county. That ordinance, which requires all retail establishments to use compostable containers, took effect July 1.

On Monday, Foster City Mayor Linda Koelling said she brought the issue to council after Supervisor Adrienne Tissier encouraged all cities in the county to adopt a similar ordinance.

“I think it’s worth discussing and looking into further to see the impact on something like this,” Koelling said.

Burlingame, San Bruno, Millbrae, Pacifica and South San Francisco have banned polystyrene containers. San Mateo has no such ban on the books, and city staffers have said it is not on their radar at the moment.

Polystyrene is not biodegradable and can be hazardous to ocean animals and wildlife, a Foster City staff report says.

Sally Liu, vice chair of the Environmental Sustainability Task Force, said she has participated in coastal cleanups where tiny pieces of polystyrene are almost impossible to remove from the environment.

“It’s disturbing to me when I see restaurants using polystyrene,” Liu said.

City staff along with the Environmental Sustainability Task Force will research the pros, cons and costs of a Styrofoam ban but will not bring back a draft ordinance.

The council voted 4-1 to approve a study on banning polystyrene, with council member Pam Frisella dissenting because she said the issue had already been studied by the county and other local cities and she is already ready to adopt an ordinance.