Representatives of companies opposed the ban, which is planned to be introduced in November

A group of restaurateurs, processors and manufacturers filed a lawsuit against the New York City administration in the state Supreme Court. The city plans from November to ban the packaging of expandable polystyrene (PSV, EPS), arguing that processing this type of plastic is economically and environmentally unfavorable. This is reported by the resource Plastic news.

Expandable polystyrene is one of the varieties of plastic. It is light and strong, takes on any shape, is resistant to many substances, fungi and bacteria, thanks to which it is widely used in construction, furniture manufacturing and packaging.

The business coalition insists that the city ignores the New York state court decision, which in 2015 canceled the ban on expandable polystyrene, establishing that the material can be efficiently recycled.

Processing instead of prohibition

“The administration of the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, should comply with the court directive, abandon the erroneous decision to ban material and adopt a comprehensive recycling program that the industry offers and financially supports,” said Randy Mastro, chief business lawyer. “A comprehensive program for processing all polystyrene – more environmentally and economically correct solution than banning a particular species, it will save the city millions of dollars and protect a small restaurant business that depends on the material. ”

The program, proposed by the manufacturer of cups and containers of expandable polystyrene Dart Container, could save millions of dollars that are spent on the disposal of waste, and bring additional revenue. As calculated by the plaintiffs, the purchase of alternative foam materials will cost the city $ 11.2 million per year.

Position of administration

City authorities argue that the products from expanded polystyrene, used in the food industry, can not be processed, since the objects are covered with food remnants and break up into small particles. On such recyclable materials, according to the authorities, it is difficult to find a buyer. “This experience was shared by the large municipalities that the department contacted, there is no reason to believe that everything will turn out differently for New York,” the authorities noted.

The official spokesman for the city’s legal department said the city would protect the ban with a “thorough, exhaustive and legally sound” report from the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) on May 12 stating that food containers made from foaming polystyrene “can not be processed sufficiently profitable and environmentally efficient for New York.”

As the enterprises consider, the city presents incomplete information and makes false conclusions about the processing of the material. “New York ignores the facts that prove that the foam is being processed.” This denial will result in significant economic losses to the city, “said Alan Shaw, president of the plastics recycling company of Indianapolis.

According to The Balance, 56 million pounds (25.4 million kg) of expandable polystyrene was processed in the US in 2006. In 2013, the volume reached 125 million pounds (56.7 million kg, 34% of all used materials and 47% of all polystyrene used in the US). The material is considered one of the most recyclable types of plastic.

Plastic decomposes to 500 years. According to the EPA, in 2014, 9.5% of plastics were recycled in the United States, 15% – burned for energy, 75.5% – sent to landfills. Every year, Americans use 102.1 billion plastic bags.