California may ban foam containers. What do you think?

This goes back to the middle ages (in fast food terms), but originally McDonald's led the pack in giving out carry-out food in clamshells that actually kept food hot. A HUGE advertising campaign started up demanding they stop using plastic, and move to biodegradable paper. When their sales started to decline, they gave in and switched.

What never got reported is that McD's was subsidizing new factories that converted recyclable video cassette cases (as I said, middle ages) and plastic bottles into clamshells (so no new plastics were ever used in them), and while they weren't immediately biodegradable they were designed to "fall apart" to assist with degrading over time.

What also never got reported is that the ad campaign (from something like "People for the Environment") was actually paid for by the paper industry, and that in order to keep the cheese from leaking through the paper had a plastic foil laminated to the back, and thus the "paper" would NEVER biodegrade, and would stay intact centuries longer than the plastic clams!

Since then I tend not to believe a good portion of this type of study, background, et al.

[Robin Garr]

I find myself very reluctant to get carry-out, especially from Asian and Indian Restaurants. It is always a landfill of unrecycleable junk. Eat there.

That's what I like about EcoSteward, Ken. I want to be "green," but I also don't want to be obese, a challenge that is non-trivial for food critics. Bottom line, if forced to the choice, I would rather take half my dinner home in styro than either waste it or force myself to eat it all.

For what it's worth, by the way, metro does take small styro containers now, although this may merely substantiate the suspicion that all the city "recycling," collected unsorted, is really going straight to the landfull. There's a place in an industrial park just north of Rich O's and NA Exchange in New Albany where you can leave off large styrofoam for legitimate recycling. We get enough in our business - wine mailers, mostly - that we make periodic trips.

We also tried the bio containers and could not deal with the price or the leakage. We even charged a small fee to the customers for the containers, but in the end the leakage could not be resolved. Many places put a little tin foil in the bottom, but this seems to defeat the purpose. I might try them again, but I'm afraid they are the coated type mentioned in another post, thus making them non-bio degradable. What to do? And yes, profit margins are razor thin. By the way look for us in the food section of the CJ this Wed. or next for a couple of new recipes from the awesome Shady Lane. Peace. Bill and Susi

Price is our main issue. I would love to use a more responsible container, but I have a hard enough time getting my owners to use a better quality styro container that costs 5 cents more, they would laugh at me if I told them they had to spend upwards of 30-50 cents more to be "green."

I have been trying to find nice microwave safe bowls for our take-away orders, at least that way the can see additional use and can be more easily recycled, but price is always the issue.

polyehthylene never biodegrades. neither does styrofoam. what causes biodegredation are microscopic organisms that feed on something. since plastic and styrofoam are both petroleum products, and no creature on earth eats petroleum, they will never bio-degrade.

the key here is to get people to sacrifice a little "convienience" for doing what's right in the long haul.
i have found a lot of the eco-friendly containers to work just fine. maybe not as good as styrofoam, but i'm just driving home with my food, not scaling k2. i think it will make it. that being said, i'm kinda against making laws to promote common sense, which seems to be not that common these days.
the cost could place a burden on the small restaurant owner, and i'm obviously not for that. this countrys wastefull nature and attitude have to change, and no law on the books is gonna make that happen.

It certainly seems like governments have a lot bigger problems they should be trying to solve instead of trying to impose more regulations on businesses. Businesses are already hurting in many cases and certainly don't need more burdens placed above them. Besides the foam containers keep food much hotter than the biodegradable ones!

I don't think heat retention is an issue as even the most hefty of foam containers generally doesn't retain heat long enough. Anyway......

In general, I think that the best long term solution is the way to go. Immediate costs to just the individual business should not be the only consideration.

I generallty detest government intrusion into private business affairs, but California historically does things like this and I expect that they will continue.

This is not just an issue of "private business affairs". It's an environmental issue and involves way more than just private business. Besides, "the market" is not always the best determinant of public policy.

I saw a Travel Channel program, I don't recall which, that showed take out lunches that were delivered in little tin containers that were returned and reused. I thought that look healthy and cool.

Recently, I have been inspired by a friend that brings her own containers to restaurants for leftovers, I have slowly been remembering to do the same. As a society, there's no reason why we can't do like some other countries and gradually shift to the customer provided grocery bag mentality.

I generallty detest government intrusion into private business affairs, but California historically does things like this and I expect that they will continue.

This is not just an issue of "private business affairs". It's an environmental issue and involves way more than just private business. Besides, "the market" is not always the best determinant of public policy.

I saw a Travel Channel program, I don't recall which, that showed take out lunches that were delivered in little tin containers that were returned and reused. I thought that look healthy and cool.

Recently, I have been inspired by a friend that brings her own containers to restaurants for leftovers, I have slowly been remembering to do the same. As a society, there's no reason why we can't do like some other countries and gradually shift to the customer provided grocery bag mentality.

I said generally - that's not always.

no creature on earth eats petroleum

Pseudomonas bacteria.

Well, technically it doesnt "eat" it, as it doesnt have a mouth.