This week, the Albany County Legislature voted to broaden its existing ban on polystyrene. It’s not clear if the county executive will sign it.
Although County Executive Dan McCoy signed a Styrofoam ban into law in December 2013, it came with restrictions and only applied to businesses with at least 15 locations nationally.
New legislation passed Monday night bans Styrofoam containers of all kinds. Former Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith Enck, an on-air contributor at WAMC, attended the session as a supporter of the bill: "It is virtually impossible to effectively recycle polystyrene. For 30 years the plastics industry has said 'don't ban it, recycle it,' but because polystyrene gets contaminated with food and because it's lightweight, and because there are no viable markets, you really don't recycle polystyrene. And this is an instance where we just need to eliminate it and shift toward reusable packing or plant-based packaging, that when it's littered or gets into the ocean, doesn't last for centuries."
The 2013 ban applied only to chain restaurants. The updated ban would affect any food service establishment whose permit is granted by the Albany County Department of Health. Supermarkets and non-profit organizations selling food at fundraisers are exempt.
Deputy Minority Leader Paul Burgdorf says the ban is flawed and environmental advocates are making a big mistake. "What the advocates have chosen to attack is 2 percent of the Styrofoam waste stream. And unfortunately, it has singled out restaurants, not-for-profits, meals-on-wheels programs and other programs that benefit the end consumer or fragile population."
Burgdof says Republicans had a much better anti-plastic proposal... "...to recycle the 90 percent of packaging waste that goes into the landfill. This is all the Styrofoam that is around your microwaves and your televisions and your furniture. Packing peanuts. All that waste that is not dealt with under this 2 percent ban. People in the environmental community actually voted against recycling."
Burgdof contends the bill does nothing to lessen the amount of waste being trucked to the landfill.
Again, Judith Enck: "The local law now heads to County Executive Dan McCoy's desk, and County Executive McCoy has to decide whether to sign or veto this bill, and I certainly hope that he decides to sign it."
Asked for comment, the Democrat gave WAMC an uncharacteristically terse statement: "I have 30 days to have a public hearing after I have the public hearing I can either veto or sign it into law, and after I hear from the general public I will make my decision."
