The city Department of Sanitation has determined that expanded polystyrene foam products are not recyclable.
Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza
It seems that in just over a year in the big chair at City Hall, Mayor Bill de Blasio has become familiar with the give and take of Gotham politics.
Within a 24-hour period last week, de Blasio announced that he was lifting the ban on cell phones at public schools, and levying a ban on single-use Styrofoam products in the city.
The administration on Friday announced that as of July 1, food service establishments, stores and manufacturers may not possess, sell, or offer for use single-service expanded polystyrene foam articles or polystyrene loose fill packaging, such as “packing peanuts” in the Big Apple.
According to the Mayor’s Office, after consulting with corporations, nonprofits, vendors and other stakeholders, the Department of Sanitation has determined that expanded polystyrene foam cannot be recycled, which led to the ban. DSNY also determined that there currently is no market for post-consumer EPS collected in a curbside metal, glass, and plastic recycling program. As a result of the ban, manufacturers and stores may not sell or offer single-use foam items such as cups, plates, trays, or clamshell containers anywhere in the city.
The law allows businesses a six-month grace period from when the law goes into effect—Jan. 1, 2016—before fines can be imposed. DSNY, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Department of Consumer Affairs will conduct outreach and education in multiple languages to businesses throughout the five boroughs during the grace period. For the first year of the ban, businesses will be given a warning in lieu of a fine.
Nonprofits and small businesses with less than $500,000 in revenue per year may apply for hardship exemptions from the Department of Small Business Services if they can prove that the purchase of alternative products not composed of EPS would create undue financial hardship. SBS will begin accepting applications for hardship waivers in March.
In accordance with the city’s new policy, the Department of Education will begin replacing foam trays with compostable plates on May 1. All school meals will be served on these compostable plates starting in September. All summer meals will also be served on the new plates.
“While much of the waste we produce can be recycled or reused, polystyrene foam is not one of those materials,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “Removing polystyrene from our waste stream is not only good for a greener, more sustainable New York, but also for the communities who are home to landfills receiving the city’s trash.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
