Santa Clara Valley Water District supports styrofoam ban

      San Jose, CA – On Tuesday, Oct. 25, the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors unanimously adopted a resolution to ban the use of district funds to purchase polystyrene foam service ware. The ban includes contractors and venders that provide food service ware at district facilities or events. The board also voted to encourage all local municipalities in Santa Clara County to reduce and ban the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam food service ware.

      The ban was proposed by district board member Linda LeZotte, a member of the Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission, which in June, recommended that all of its members work toward a ban of EPS foam food service ware. The commission found that similar bans in San Francisco and Santa Cruz counties resulted in reductions of EPS foam litter of 36 and 61 percent, respectively. “All you have to do to be convinced that Styrofoam is a problem is look at a creek or the Bay shoreline,” said Director LeZotte. “Fighting pollution at the source is the ultimate solution to our litter problems.”

       EPS foam, commonly known as Styrofoam, is non-biodegradable and non-compostable, and there continues to be no substantial local recycling of expanded polystyrene foam food service ware. The foam packaging is a common environmental pollutant that breaks into smaller pieces that are ingested by aquatic life and other wildlife.

        Foam comprises 15 percent of storm drain litter, according to California Department of Transportation. The district has found that a substantial proportion of litter found in local waterways is expanded polystyrene foam packaging. Management of this litter on district property places a financial burden on the district. In Fiscal Year 2011, district crews removed more than 2000 cubic yards of trash and debris from local waterways.

        While the amount of EPS food service ware currently used at the water district is minimal, implementation of similar bans throughout Santa Clara County is expected to reduce the amount of this material polluting local waterways. By adopting the resolution, the district is encouraging the cities and the county to consider similar action.