NEW YORK (AP) — New Yorkers are wondering what a plastic foam free city might look like after Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed an all-out ban of the food packaging product.

Industry groups say a ban on polystyrene foam would mean more expensive alternatives, like aluminum containers.

The mayor says polystyrene foam is bad for the environment and expensive for the city to process because it doesn't break down in trash.

The mayor's proposal has to be drafted into legislation and voted on by the City Council before it becomes law.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn supports it. But a similar proposal has stalled in the City Council in recent years.

The Dow Chemical Co. says that while it's commonly referred to as Styrofoam, that brand of polystyrene foam is not used in food packaging.