Pittsfield May Consider Ban on Foam Food Containers

The city council in Pittsfield may consider a proposal that would ban restaurants from selling food in plastic foam containers in the Berkshire City.

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Pittsfield resident and attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo III first proposed the idea to members of city government in a column published in the Berkshire Eagle earlier this month.

Del Gallo said that he was inspired by actions taken in other Massachusetts towns including Brookline and Amherst, where measures were approved in 2012 to prevent the sale of food in polystyrene cups and containers. Del Gallo said he considers the containers bad for the environment, and hopes residents of other communities will take action.

Currently, the City Council’s Ordinance and Rules Committee is seeking opinions on a polystyrene ban from local businesses.

The Berkshire County town of Great Barrington has had a ban in place on polystyrene cups and food containers for over two decades.