Like all plastics, Styrofoam, or polystyrene, stays around in the environment for hundreds of years. But it’s particularly noxious because its light weight makes it liable to be carried by wind and water into the ocean, where it breaks down into micro-plastics that eventually make their way into the food supply. In an effort to curb people’s reliance on single-use plastics, specifically Styrofoam, Maine has become the first state to sign a bill into legislation prohibiting restaurants, caterers, coffee shops, and grocery stores from using the to-go foam containers. The law, which will go into effect January 1, 2021, is expected to significantly reduce plastic waste in Maine, where more than 256 million pieces of disposable foam cups, plates, bowls, platters, and trays are used every year.
Maine becomes first state in the US to ban environmentally-harmful Styrofoam
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