Highland Park Seeks To Ban Styrofoam
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Styrofoam could soon be illegal in north suburban Highland Park.
The City of Highland Park is considering making it illegal for restaurants to use polystyrene foam cups, plates and bowls. The city environmental commission has already recommended banning the substance, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Under the proposal, food containers containing polystyrene – for which Styrofoam is a trademark name – would be banned. The only exception would be "clamshell" containers, which have a hinge on which the top half can close over the bottom, the Tribune reported.
Restaurants are not happy about the ban, and many opponents say it could hurt the economy. One city councilman, Steve Mandel, is talking to manufacturers about whether the Styrofoam can be recycled, the Tribune reported.
But environmentalists say polystyrene foam takes years to break down in landfills.
If the ban passes, Highland Park would be the only city in the Midwest to ban Styrofoam.
