Baguio City councilors urge ban on ‘polystyrene foam’

BAGUIO CITY — Baguio, touted as the country’s cleanest and greenest city, is really "going green."

A ban on the use of polystyrene foam (PSF) or styropor as container of food and drinks and as packaging material in fastfood outlets, restaurants, groceries, supermarkets, and other food service establishments in the city was proposed this week.

Styropor is made from petroleum which is dangerous to the health of humans, being a substance that is "non-sustainable and heavily polluting," said councilors Galo Weygan and Pinky Rondez, the ban’s proponents.

They said reliable and available scientific studies showed that PSF contains a contaminant chemical called styrene – the single molecule form of polystyrene that usually migrates into food and beverages from polystyrene food containers.

They added that studies also suggested that styrene mimics estrogen in the body and thus, can disrupt normal hormone functions, possibly contributing to thyroid problems, menstrual irregularities, and other hormone-related problems as well as breast and prostate cancer.

Apart from posing health risks, the two councilors said PSF is also a non-biodegradable material and "takes up too much space in landfills or waste disposal sites and is therefore environmentally unfriendly as it is costly in environmental management."

To date, they said there is no available recycling program for this type of waste in the city.

Even the big fastfood chains, which used to be highly dependent on PSF packaging, have recognized its health and environmental risks, prompting them to stop using the material, Weygan and Rondez said.

A ban on the use and sale of PSF packaging in the city could be the most effective way of preventing the health and environment hazards which PSF poses, they said.

If approved, the ban on PSF packaging may take effect on Jan. 1, 2008 to cover retail food vendors, fastfood outlets, restaurants, groceries, supermarkets, stores and all other food service establishments.

Under the proposed measure, the city health office, in coordination with the Department of Health, will be tasked to prepare and enforce the implementing rules and regulations.

Violators, as proposed, face a fine ranging from P5,000 to P10,000 and the revocation of their business permits.

The city council has approved the proposed ban on first reading.