TELL US: Should Foam Beverage, Food Containers be Banned?
Residents in Brookline supported a move to ban the use of all foam food and beverage containers, a move that was approved at Special Town Meeting.
One group of residents in the Bay State has taken a stand against the use of plastic foam food and beverage containers at local restaurants.
A Special Town Meeting in Brookline earlier this week voted to ban the use of polystyrene (plastic foam) food and beverage containers for take-out or to-go at food establishments in town. The ban will go into effect on Dec. 1, 2013.
The move came after Town Meeting member Nancy Heller proposed the article due to the health risks involved in the use of the cups. As a result, the move was approved by a vote of 169-27.
But not everyone was in favor of the move. Canton-based Dunkin Donuts spoke against the measure on Tuesday; spokesperson Christine Riley said that, despite looking, the company has not found a better alternative to the foam cups to keep coffee warm.
Meanwhile, some petitions have cropped up, such as on Change.org, calling on Dunkin Donuts to cease use of the cups, citing hazards to the environment. Last year, the company said it was looking at alternatives to the material and also weighing the possibility of an in-store recycling program, according to a WHDH report.
But what do you think? Should Brookline's move be followed by other communities in the Commonwealth? Or should establishments be allowed to use the material for food and beverage containers?
William B. Fleck
8:14 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
No
William B. Fleck
1:26 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
When was the last time you drank melting styrofoam??
William B. Fleck
8:14 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
No, not ban foam containers
Hilary Greene
11:29 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Yes they need to ban these and plastic bags like Brookline already has. The science shows these do not break down like paper and though DD cups have the recycling symbol on them there is no place to recycle them so they just get thrown out and then the 1000+ year wait for them to break down. I do not patronize DD for this reason. Every other major coffee chain has somehow figured out how to keep their precious coffee warm. What I don't understand all the people who like drinking out of those containers! I feel like it's drinking melting styrofoam...ugh.
Tim
12:21 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Tree huggers. Make up your mind, do we cut down your trees to make paper cups or use plastic instead?
Patricia Keoughan
1:45 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Yes. These may be recyclable, but most are not recycled. Polystyrene floats in water and when it ends up in the ocean, as it does, it lasts forever. I just returned from a plastics research cruise across the Pacific and was horrified by the amount of polystyrene pieces floating in the middle, with organisms living on them. My recommendation is to bring your own cup to reuse.