Dive Brief:
- All 51 members of the New York City Council voted to pass legislation which would ban foam food and drink containers across the city by July of 2015.
- Restaurants, food carts and stores are prohibited from selling or using cups, clamshells, trays and packing-peanuts made form expanded polystyrene.
- An amendment was introduced and added to the bill, giving officials one year to establish the recyclability of polystyrene while appeasing outspoken opponents of the bill.
Dive Insight:
The ban comes as Mayor Michael Bloomberg spends his final days as the city's mayor. His 12 years of service to the city end on December 31. Bloomberg implemented sweeping environmental changes -- from solar landfills and recycling stations to reducing hauler emissions, a proposed food waste ban and implementing rigid plastic recycling, during his time at city hall.
