Santa Barbara’s Styrofoam ban went into effect on January first, six months after the City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting the distribution and retail sale of expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers. Examples include, but aren’t limited to, foam cups, plates, clamshells, bowls, trays, and coolers. Exempt are items holding foods prepared or packaged outside Santa Barbara and then sold within the city; trays holding raw meat and fish; and products made from Styrofoam but encased in a more durable material, like surfboards, life preservers, and craft supplies.