Ban supporters advocate containers made of cellulose or sugarcane. Such products can biodegrade in a matter of months. A 2004 Laguna study found them to be three times as expensive as Styrofoam.

This is amazing...a cup made from sugarcane - when you are done drinking, you eat the cup.

Norm Murray article available at http://epaper.ocregister.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=T3JhbmdlLzIwMDcvMDUvMjQjQXIwMjcwMg==&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-ocr

I Love It,

Though you may jokingly think that you could 'eat the cup' after you are done that is not the case. In fact introducing a biodegradable alternative foodservice product could be more harmful than good in Laguna. Many of the biodegradable products on the market today will not photodegrade as exanded polystyrene (EPS) will but they also will not biodegrade. These products that the environmentalist community are touting as the solution to the plastic marine debris problem, will in fact pollute the current recycling stream and negate any good done over the past decade with recycling. Curbside and effective litter programs will be ended because biodegradable plastics are considered contaminants in the recycling stream. They only biodegrade under exact conditions tha cannot be met in a landfill, recycling center, or the environment. They are laboratory specific products and should be considered harmful to the environment. Beyond the elimination of choice, the effects of a ban are to simply change the waste stream, and often for the worse.

Polystyrene foam, along with bleached coated paperboard, aluminum, glass, plastics or multi-layered materials used in foodservice ware, are not a pollutant, if they are used and disposed of properly. Unfortunately, foodservice packaging, along with many other non-foodservice materials, are improperly disposed of (littered) in all cities. Many cities have litter laws and conduct litter education, prevention, and clean-up activities to address the improper disposal of these products. No singular material is meant to be littered, but every material can potentially end up as litter. In the end, the only real solution for litter is to prevent littering behavior through public education outreach, effective pickup and enclosure of litter and, when necessary, enforcement of current ordinances.

I think you missed my sarcasm. That, or I'm not very good at it.

I simply used the opportunity to present my side of the argument. Sorry it was at your expense. We can discuss it over a cup of coffee and delicious sugarcane cup one day in Laguna.