New York City Ban On Styrofoam Products Takes Effect
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- It's goodbye to Styrofoam in New York City.
As of midnight, Styrofoam products such as trays, cups, plates, clamshell containers and packing peanuts are banned at food service establishments, stores and manufacturers across the five boroughs.
City officials said the ban will have a grace period, without fines, until January 2016.
New York City Ban On Styrofoam Products Takes Effect
Nonprofits and businesses with less than $500,000 in annual revenue could qualify for an exemption from the ban. They'd have to prove that using nonfoam materials would create financial hardship.
Administration officials believe that the ban will remove nearly 30,000 tons of expanded polystyrene from the city's streets, waterways and landfills.
Former Mayor Micheal Bloomberg wanted the ban on plastic foam containers two years ago, but it never passed.
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