Such a Waste!

Bay Area Cities Dump Polystyrene

The holidays may be the best time of year to generate goodwill but it’s the worst time for generating waste.  I’m Suzanne Shaw, Editorial Director. 

California leads the nation in recycling.  89% of our glass is recycled.  But we recycle less than 10 percent of polystyrene - including the foam trays used in food packaging.The problem is polystyrene has to be clean to be recycled.  So, most Bay Area recyclers take used food containers straight to the dump.

Just because you put it in the bin doesn’t mean it gets recycled…which is why more than 20 Bay Area cities have banned the use of Styrofoam & polystyrene.  And with the plastics industry lobbying against a statewide ban, NBC Bay Area urges you to give the environment a gift this year - support local polystyrene bans and use biodegradable alternatives.  

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