New recycling bill could play a major role in styrofoam’s fate

Big Foam, local environmentalists and City Council members are battling over whether the city should recycle styrofoam products or ban them entirely.

Bronx Democratic Councilman Fernando Cabrera introduced a bill in March requiring households to separate polystyrene foam containers and recycle them.

The proposal would mandate the city Sanitation Department come up with a plan to collect and clean the plastic products.

Cabrera wrangled 16 council members to co-sponsor his bill, backed by midwestern plastics giant Dart Container Corp.

Dart executives, who have spent $837,000 lobbying the City Council and city agencies since 2013, called the bill “good, forward-thinking public policy.”

But advocates claim the proposal is really an effort to fend off an outright ban of foam.

“The plastics companies just want to create a market so people can keep buying and selling those products,” said Neighbors Allied for Good Growth consultant Jennie Romer.