CIVIC CENTER — Single-use Styrofoam containers, widely used in the food industry, will be banned starting on July 1, the mayor and the Department of Sanitation announced on Thursday.
The ban will also mean that plastic foam trays used in some public schools will be phased out starting in the spring and will be completely gone by next school year.
The move came after an analysis showed that expanded polystyrene — used to make foam containers — cannot be recycled. It stemmed from 2013 legislation ordering the study.
The banned items will include foam cups, plates, trays and clamshell containers — mainly used to package fruits and hot food — as well as packaging such as “packing peanuts,” officials said in a press release.
“These products cause real environmental harm and have no place in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in the press release. “By removing nearly 30,000 tons of expanded polystyrene waste from our landfills, streets and waterways, today’s announcement is a major step towards our goal of a greener, greater New York City,” he said.
The city estimated that about 28,500 tons of Styrofoam were collected in fiscal year 2014 and about 90 percent of that would be covered by the ban.
The foam can clog storm drains and is a danger to marine life when it breaks down into smaller particles.
The new law will give businesses a six-month grace period from when it goes into effect before fines can be imposed, officials said.
For the first year, businesses will be given a warning and not a fine. The amount of the fines has not yet been determined.
Additionally, nonprofits and businesses with less than $500,000 in revenue may apply for waivers if they can prove that purchasing alternative products would create "undue financial hardship", officials said. The Department of Small Business Services will start accepting applications in March.
The New York State Restaurant association welcomed the new legislation.
“We look forward to working with the City to educate restaurants on how to comply with the law and helping them find alternative products that are better for the environment and cost effective,” said Chris Hickey, the New York City regional director.
Public schools' foam trays will be replaced with compostable plates starting on May 1 and will be entirely phased out starting in September, the Department of Education said.
Some schools have switched to sugarcane-based trays already.
Several cities across the country, such as Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Albany, have already adopted similar bans, forcing businesses to shift to alternative containers that are biodegradable or recyclable.
