Bloomberg to propose plastic foam ban in State of the City
In his final State of the City address on Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg will propose a ban on plastic foam, forcing eateries around the city to restock to-go containers and school cafeterias to ditch plastic-foam trays, The New York Times reports.
The Sanitation Department had introduced the idea of a plastic-foam ban to reporters earlier this month.
Plastic-foam, commonly known by the brand Styrofoam, has been targeted by environmentalists because it is too difficult to recycle and takes years to break down in the trash. Bloomberg announced last year a goal to double the city’s recycling to 30 percent by 2017.
The ban would need approval from the City Council in order to become law. In Bloomberg’s last year as mayor, the ban would be yet another on a list of controversial bans, following large sugary drinks, smoking in parks and trans fats.
The mayor’s address, scheduled for noon, is also expected to include a proposal add 10,000 parking spaces for electric cars and a pilot program aimed towards citywide recycling of food waste.
