Leaders in the City of Davis have voted to ban plastic foam containers from use in restaurants.
Polystyrene is a typically white product often used in to go food containers and cups. The material is one of the few products today that cannot be recycled.
That's why the home to America's first bicycle lane is deciding to ban the product. Some local business owners say it's no surprise, however, it will come at a cost.
The city is historically known for making eco-friendly policies. Davis recently launched a food waste collection program for all single family homes, offers recycling, free compost for gardens, and promotes alternative fuel vehicles through free electric charging stations at City Hall.
Styrofoam containers cost about 10 cents each and plastic containers about 30 cents each, said Ivan Frank, the owner of a local hot dog shop called the Hotdogger.
“It’s very cheap, it’s very insulated, what do you do," Frank said. "You just charge ‘em more."
According to the city's conservation coordinator, Jennifer Gilbert, the city is working to reach 75 percent waste diversion from its landfills by the year 2020.
Gilbert drafted the plastic foam ban and says she would like Davis to be an example for other city's in the Sacramento region.
The city is also looking into a ban on straws for dine-in occasions as well.
There are more than 50 cities in California that have placed similar bans on plastic foam.
