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Irvine staff report wide business support for targeted Styrofoam ban, urge phased approach
Summary
City staff told the Irvine City Council a targeted ban on expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) and plastic straw restrictions drew the strongest business support in a survey of 233 local food‑service operations; staff recommended phased implementation with procurement guidance and business assistance to reduce costs and operational impacts.
City staff presented results of a targeted outreach and survey that asked 233 Irvine brick‑and‑mortar food businesses about readiness to switch away from single‑use plastics.
Ryan Tenney, the city's sustainability policy strategist, told the council the survey — done December 2024 through April 2025 by Environment Innovations Inc. — produced a 31% response rate among local food businesses and was offered in nine languages. Tenney said the strongest readiness signal was for a ban on expanded polystyrene (commonly called Styrofoam), where a majority of respondents supported a ban and current reported use was low. He said the survey found 56% support for a Styrofoam…
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