When the anticipated ban on Styrofoam food containers goes into effect later in the autumn, traditional Culver City restaurants are not expected to be heavily impacted.
As for a presumed accompanying prohibition on polystyrene – both bans for reasons of environmental protection – the outcome is less clear.
Polystyrene is said to be commonly used for the tops of coffee cups, which suggests take-out eateries will be hardest hit.
Two weeks before the City Council addresses preliminary findings by its two-person Sustainability Subcommittee, more clouds than bright lights hang over the approaching ban that excites activists.
At this relatively early stage, questions outnumber answers, even among those who are heavily involved.
In nine years as an owner of Downtown’s popular Rush Street, Ken Kaufman says that “we don’t use Styrofoam containers.”
The reason: “We have always felt it was not appropriate to use. The family-owned (traditional) restaurants pretty much abandoned Styrofoam a long time ago,” said Mr. Kaufman.
Instead, Rush Street uses a biodegradable material made from sugar that is believed to be in wide use among restaurateurs.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Mr. Kaufman, as a prominent entrepreneur, does not have strong feelings about the anticipated ban on Styrofoam ban.
Göran Eriksson, a committed environmentalist and half of the Council’s Sustainability Subcommittee, said that his research in recent weeks has been trained on polystyrene. “Styrofoam,” he said, “is just an expanded version of polystyrene.”
