Gone may be the days of steaming Styrofoam containers keeping that take-out Pad Thai warm.
South Lake Tahoe City Council is again considering varying degrees of a polystyrene ban—often referred to by the brand name Styrofoam—in restaurants and other retail stores.
Polystyrene is a cheap, durable and light synthetic material used to make everything from packing peanuts to take-out food containers. Environmentalists have long criticized polystyrene for its lengthy lifetime in landfills and its breakability, which results in small pieces finding their way into the environment and the stomachs of wildlife.