FDBusiness.com

The New York Supreme Court overturned the city’s decision to ban on foam packaging products.

The city’s recycling industry and restaurant owners applauded the decision, and are hoping to achieve an ambitious 100% recycle rate of its foam products through the industry-funded recycling proposal.

The city authorities initially rejected a proposal designed to recycle the city’s used foam products, choosing instead to ban 20% of foam, while sending the remaining 80% into landfills, before the court overturned the ban, deeming it “arbitrary and capricious” and cleared the way for further opportunities to embrace a recycling proposal.

Michael Westerfield, corporate director of recycling programs at Dart Container Corporation – which was involved in the appeal, said: “The evidence proves it – expanded polystyrene foam is 100% recyclable and can be recycled safely at no cost to tax payers. By allowing foam recycling to move forward, the city will save hundreds of jobs and bring in millions of dollars in savings, while doing what’s best for the environment.”

Martin Kersh, executive director of the FPA, told Packaging News that reversals of bans in other parts of America are also being overturned, and hoped the tide is turning on the issue.

“The banning of any legal material is wrong and should never be accepted. Those that seek such bans are short sighted if they believe banning one type of material will reduce litter and should read the evidence with regard to recycling and food safety.”