Highland Park, Ill., could ban restaurants from using polystyrene foam cups, bowls and plates under a proposal that gets five stars from environmentalists but is opposed by some retailers because of the cost.
The product – a form of plastic commonly referred to by the trademarked name Styrofoam – is lightweight and good at keeping food hot or cold, but it takes hundreds of years to biodegrade in landfills.
"As far as I know, Highland Park would be the only one in the Midwest" to enact such a ban, said Bill Bogot, chairman of the city's Environmental Commission.
Dozens of West Coast communities have banned the use of polystyrene foam, although California officials dropped a proposal to prohibit it statewide last year because of fear it would harm businesses. Restaurateurs dubbed it "Foam Fight 2009" and warned that it would force them to raise prices.
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