We recently wrote about New Jersey’s progressive single-use plastic ban. Now, Maryland is achieving its own waste-reduction goals by becoming the first state in the country to implement a ban on foam food containers.
Passed in 2019, but implemented last week, the law prohibits restaurants, schools, stores, and other institutions from serving food in polystyrene containers. It took two attempts to pass the law, and its implementation was delayed by the pandemic, but the state has finally managed to ditch foam containers.
Some restaurants complained about the increased cost of foam alternatives, but the environmental benefits outweigh the price of the materials transition. The ban will not only reduce waste and microplastics, but it will also cut down on emissions as polystyrene is produced using fossil fuels. Baltimore, which passed a citywide foam ban ahead of the state, has reported a 40 percent reduction in polystyrene containers making their way into the Inner Harbor.
Maine, New York, and Vermont have passed similar bans, but they have yet to take effect. Perhaps the foam ban will inspire Dispatch Goods, the reusable to-go container start-up we talked about yesterday, to expand to cities in Maryland.
