British punker Poly Styrene, who formed the Sex Pistol-inspired band X-Ray Spex in the mid 70s, died at 53 from cancer, her website said on Tuesday, reports the L.A. Times. Styrene, whose real name was Marianne Elliott-Said, joined the Hare Krishnas in 1980 and largely faded from public view. Bluesy singer and guitarist Phoebe Snow who was nominated for best new artist at the 1975 Grammys, "had a defining hit of the 1970s" with her song Poetry Man but also dropped out of the spotlight to care for her disabled daughter. She died Tuesday from complications of a brain hemorrhage at age 60, notes the Daily News. more ›

Polystyrene food containers will soon be a thing of the past at buildings and concessions owned or operated by the County of Los Angeles, according to the LA Times. more ›

Styrofoam food containers will be banned in city buildings, at LAX, and at city-sponsored events beginning next July and plastic bags will be ordered pulled from store checkout counters July 1, 2010, in accordance with a ban approved today by LA City Council. The decision comes just weeks after a similar measure in Manhattan Beach passed despite the threat of a lawsuit. Malibu banned plastic bags in May and the debate stalled on the issue in Santa Monica earlier this year. In 2007, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban plastic bags. more ›

The The LA Times is reporting that beginning February 9th, restaurants in Santa Monica will be facing a ban on nonrecyclable foam and plastic, as city officials are "hoping to put an end to the blight of discarded take-out boxes and beverage cups on their beach." The City of Santa Monica outlines the reasons for their decision on their website:

Expanded polystyrene and non-recyclable plastic together make up the largest amount of waste that ends up on Santa Monica’s beaches. At the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, 10,000 volunteers came out to clean the beaches and in three hours picked up over 75,000 lbs. of trash, most of which was identified as Styrofoam® and plastic.