Comments of the Week: Foaming Debate

Polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, has continued to be a focus of debate in California, and here in Hermosa Beach. The material is often used to package takeout food items in restaurants.

Some locals argue that Styrofoam containers should not be distributed to the public as they often later become litter and harm the environment. Others have argued that the material creates useful products, and a ban could hurt businesses as well as not be effective.

Patch readers weighed in on the controversy in comments we received this week:

Styrofoam in Hermosa Beach

The Hermosa Beach Green Task Force has recommended that the city ban the use of Styrofoam takeout containers and presented arguments to the Hermosa Beach City Council in a meeting Tuesday night.

Instead of following the group's proposal to prepare an ordinance banning polystyrene, through an outreach program about how the material could harm the environment.

Before Tuesday's meeting, one Patch reader wrote this comment:

• Hermosa Beach takes great pride in being thought of as a Green Beach Town and the only correct decision for a city with sustainable ambitions is to ban polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) restaurant take-out containers. I'm sick of cleaning styrofoam off the beach every time we do a clean up and I'm sick of seeing it littering the streets. Above all else I'm sick of a cheap, crappy material in 2011 that can't be effectively recycled and reused. Fiesta Hermosa rightfully bans it six days a year, it's time for the City Council to man up and ban it all year long. — wrote . 

Styrofoam in California

In , a Patch columnist argued that locals should take "green action" to limit the use of polystyrene containers and support Senate Bill 568, which, if approved, would prohibit the food service takeout containers from being distributed.

One Patch reader commented that a ban is not effective:

• We already have laws on the books to deal with this. It is not enforced. Littering fines should be raised and enforced. Banning is not the way to do it and only makes people feel the government is taking over more control. Education is the key. — wrote .

Coming up: Check Patch on Sundays for our weekly roundup of the latest Hermosa Beach headlines in the Week in Review.