One week after the City Council formally confirmed a pro-environment polystyrene ban in Culver City restaurants after November, the wheels of implementation are churning.

Banning polystyrene only sounds simple.

“We are gearing up to have a public information campaign, workshops, and we will be reaching out to all businesses affected by the ban,” says Public Works Director Charles Herbertson.

“We want people to know exactly what the ban is, and to find alternative products.”

Three dates have been set for the informative workshops:

• Wednesday, June 21 – General membership meeting of the Downtown Business Association.

• Wednesday, June 28, 9 a.m. to 11 – Council Chambers.

• Wednesday, July 12, 9 a.m. to 11 – Council Chambers.

This is not an instantaneous implementation.

“A six-month grace period is built in,” said Mr. Herbertson, “to allow restaurants and other affected businesses to not only find alternatives but to use up inventories. We don’t want them to have to throw away those products.

“Restaurants should be planning on where they are going to order replacement materials from and how to use up their inventories.”

Mr. Herbertson was asked to characterize the outlawing of polystyrene containers and silverware because strewn-about pieces are deemed harmful to the wet and dry dimensions of the environment.

“Polystyrene is identified by looking at the many products with recycling symbols,” he said. “It is No. 6.

“Mainly, the ban focuses on takeout food containers. A lot of the time people think of polystyrene as Styrofoam, which is kind of a trade name.

“That is one of them. But there is a clear plastic polystyrene as well. You will see them in what they call clam(p) shells, takeout containers that fold over and clamp down.

“Those no longer will be allowed,” said Mr. Herbertson. “Same goes for knives and forks and straws.”

(To be continued)