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Retail Trade Group Sues City Over Styrofoam Ban

LeRoy Woodson

The Florida Retail Federation is taking Coral Gables to court over Styrofoam.  The south Florida city voted to ban polystyrene containers in February.

The Florida Retail Federation is lashing out over a local ordinance banning things like Styrofoam clamshells and cups.  The trade group says the ban will put stress on local businesses and lead to higher prices.  This year the state legislature passed a measure preempting local Styrofoam restrictions, and the retail federation says Coral Gables is in violation.  But the law grandfathers in cities with a Styrofoam ban in place before January 1 this year.  So to preserve the ban, Coral Gables city commissioners pushed the ordinance’s effective date back in time to December of 2015 when it was initially approved.  The case will be heard in a Miami Dade County Circuit Court.

Nick Evans came to Tallahassee to pursue a masters in communications at Florida State University. He graduated in 2014, but not before picking up an internship at WFSU. While he worked on his degree Nick moved from intern, to part-timer, to full-time reporter. Before moving to Tallahassee, Nick lived in and around the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. He listens to far too many podcasts and is a die-hard 49ers football fan. When Nick’s not at work he likes to cook, play music and read.