The ban would include not just food containers but cup lids, straws and other utensils as well.
Huntington Beach City Council Mayor Pro Tem Matthew Harper and Councilman Joe Carchio has advised staff to write up two ordinances to ban the substance.
One draft would be based on San Bruno's rules, which require businesses to use biodegradable, compostable, reusable or recyclable alternatives.
The other would focus on white polystyrene food containers.
Assemblyman Travis Allen opposed the move claiming a ban would limit choice and raise costs for consumers.
He added polystyrene isn't the problem but the fact that people do not recycle the material.
Carchio argued alternative containers, such as the 30-cent polypropylene products used in Newport Beach, would increase the price of the product for consumers and potentially hurt sales for businesses.