Statement: LA County votes to eliminate single-use plastic foodware, polystyrene foam

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a new ordinance Tuesday to eliminate nonrecyclable single-use plastic foodware and ban the sale of products made from expanded polystyrene, commonly known as “Styrofoam.” The ordinance, which applies to take-out restaurants and retail establishments located within unincorporated areas of LA County, as well as County facilities, also requires full-service restaurants to use reusable foodware when patrons dine in. 

In response, Jenn Engstrom, State Director of CALPIRG, and Clara Castronovo, Coordinator of CALPIRG at UCLA’s Beyond Plastic Campaign, issued the following statements. 

“We applaud Los Angeles County for this first step in passing the kind of comprehensive plastic reduction reform we need to tackle the plastic pollution crisis,” said Engstrom.  “Every 30 seconds, a dump truck’s worth of plastic ends up in our environment, mostly single-use items we can easily replace with more sustainable options. This action reinforces that nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute our environment for hundreds of years. Next, let’s get all incorporated cities in LA County on board. ” 

“So much pollution comes from things we don’t need and have known for decades we shouldn’t be using, like foam cups and take out containers,” said Castronovo. “It’s exciting to see the largest county in the country take action to stop plastic pollution and signal to the rest of the state and nation that this type of policy is both possible and necessary”