The Oxford city council has announced plans to prepare new packaging law in a bid to reduce non-biodegradable litter in the city.
The city council has proposed new license conditions, under which street food vendors will be ordered to provide only take-away food packaging and utensils to customers that are biodegradable or recyclable.
To ban the use of polystyrene containers and trays for take-away burgers and chips, the city is set to put forth the new regulation.
The law, which will not be applicable to permanent shops or restaurants, is said to mostly affect food vendors who run burger vans or hot dog stands on the streets, once approved by the council.
On 10 June 2014, the general licensing committee of the city council organized a meeting to discuss on the changes to conditions in its policy.
In the coming two months, the new draft street trading policy prepared by the council, comprising the food packaging conditions, are set to go for a stakeholder consultation.
The ban is expected to be implemented by autumn 2014.
Street traders on all streets in the city will be allowed to serve as along as they have permission from authority, as per the new draft policy, and at present 34 street trading units have council permission to operate in the city.
The draft document was quoted by letsrecycle.com as saying, "For food traders all packaging and utensils for use by customers shall be made of biodegradable or recyclable materials."