March 13, 2024
South San Francisco City Hall
400 Grand Ave
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Dear Mayor Coleman and South San Francisco Councilmembers,
The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter (SCLP) supports action to reduce plastics pollution due to its effect on the environment, on sustainability and on public health. Because of the danger of polystyrene we ask that the City of South San Francisco join its neighboring cities and the County of San Mateo1 to enact an ordinance eliminating the use of polystyrene/plastic foam products, especially for prepared food and consumer goods that are likely to litter storm drains and beaches.
Polystyrene and Styrene
Styrene is a hazardous molecule and polystyrene consists of multiple styrene molecules attached together2 3. In other words they are close both chemically and structurally, like a linked-together children’s toy.
Styrene readily sheds or leaches from polystyrene and it is not possible to prevent this separation. When talking about the dangers of polystyrene therefore people inevitably discuss styrene4.
Plastics Permeate our Environment
Polystyrene comes in several basic forms, expanded (EPS), extruded (XPS), or otherwise processed into molded shapes and according to the E.P.A. annually we landfill 840,000 tons of plastic plates and cups5, independent of other consumer goods.
As early as 1986 researchers found styrene globally in the air, water, including drinking water, and in food. They stated that styrene is inhaled, absorbed through skin, and found in human tissues6.
Polystyrene and Sunlight Emit CO2
Polystyrene readily crumbles and is blown or washed into our storm drains, watersheds, and into the ocean. Recent research has found that sunlight transforms polystyrene into both the greenhouse gas CO2 and dissolved organic carbon7, and when mixed with other plastics in the ocean, sunlight encourages polystyrene to produce as many as 319 to 705 different chemicals8. The resulting effect on the marine environment is only starting to be understood.
Health Risks
Since the 1980s, styrene, which sheds and leaches from polystyrene has been studied as a health risk9. Styrene is known to be a neurotoxin and has been studied both as a cancer-causing agent and as an endocrine disrupter3. Though the latter two areas are in dispute when it comes to people, there is a growing body of research citing styrene as a major marine fish and wildlife toxin and showing that the presence of polystyrene worsens fish susceptibility to viruses.
Polystyrene and Landfill
There are three types of polystyrene product. One is an extruded foam (XPS) product (such as StyrofoamTM), another is an expanded foam (EPS) product, and then there is a “high-impact” (HIPS) product made by mixing polystyrene with rubber10.
None of the polystyrene types are bio-degradable; however, both XPS and EPS are fully recyclable but difficult to clean and expensive to transport and recycle. Most recycling businesses refuse to accept XPS or EPS material, or they add it to landfill. In any case, utensils, products that have been in contact with food, or construction material in contact with dirt or mixed with nails or staples can’t be recycled11.
High-impact polystyrene is a special case. While this product can be ground up, heated and remolded as many as 8 times, because sunlight degrades HIPS, only products kept away from sun can be recycled in this fashion12. Most used HIPS winds up in landfill or, in the best-case scenario, will be landfilled after reuse.
An Excellent Nearby Ordinance Model
As mentioned previously, surrounding communities, including San Francisco, Colma, Pacifica and San Bruno, as well as San Mateo County, have their own polystyrene ordinances.
The city of Santa Cruz has an especially thorough ordinance that bans food service ware made with polystyrene or plastic foam, insists food providers use biodegradable, compostable or recyclable products, and prohibits sale or use of products made with polystyrene or plastic foam by vendors or event promoters unless the foam is fully enclosed inside harder material13 14.
Please take time to study your neighbors’ ordinances and help protect your citizens and our coastline by creating and enacting a strong ordinance in favor of environmentally acceptable packaging and products.
Sincerely,
Susan Hinton
Chair, Plastic Pollution Prevention Team
Environmental Stewardship Program
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter
1 https://www.cawrecycles.org/polystyrene-local-ordinances
2 https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/stem-explained/polystyrene-pros-cons-chemistry
3 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Styrene#section=Toxicity
5 https://news.climate.columbia. edu/2019/08/26/consumption-waste- changing-lifestyle/
6 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230123151532.htm
7 https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/sunlight-degrades-polystyrene-faster-than-expected/
8 https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/12/05/ocean-plastic-breakdown-sunlight/
9 https://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc26.htm#PartNumber:3
10 https://material-properties.org/high-impact-polystyrene/
11 https://pirg.org/articles/what-most-people-dont-know-about-recycling-styrofoam-cups/
12 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14777606231168653
14 https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showpublisheddocument/83313/637502046035900000