Local News in Brief : Plastic Foam Product Ban
The sale, manufacture and distribution of plastic foam products, such as insulated coffee cups, made with harmful chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) will be banned in Los Angeles starting next July 1, the City Council decided Tuesday.
Without debate, the council approved a proposed ordinance sponsored by Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky last November. But the ban will not remove plastic foam products from use. Since the ban was proposed, manufacturers of the foam products have switched to a less harmful CFC which will be permitted under the city ordinance.
The Los Angeles action is similar to moves by a number of other California cities and counties, which have either banned or are considering prohibitions against such products.
Scientists have concluded that CFCs, when released into the atmosphere, have contributed to the weakening of the ozone layer that protects the Earth from ultraviolet rays. The accumulation of CFCs in the stratosphere is suspected of contributing to the so-called “greenhouse effect,” or global warming trend.
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