San Mateo County is close to having a countywide ban on food vendors using Styrofoam containers. The newest ordinance banning polystyrene boxes took effect Thursday in Menlo Park.

The County passed a model ordinance to eliminate polystyrene cups and carryout containers more than a year ago.  Since then, cities throughout the county have adopted the ordinance.  San Mateo County's Director of Environmental Health Dean Peterson says bans have now been enacted in all but five cities.  And he expects they will soon follow.  

"We're anticipating that by the middle of 2013, there'll be a solid polystyrene ban on the entire peninsula," Dean says.

The county took on the issue because the containers had become a persistent source of litter and pollution.  According to Dean, the county's food safety inspectors are enforcing the ban for the cities.