Dive Brief:
- The Montgomery County Council in Maryland announced that it had enacted a bill that will effectively ban the use and sale of specific types of expanded polystyrene.
- The bill will prohibit the use and sale of polystyrene food service products and polystyrene loose fill packaging.
- The measure will go into effect on January 1, 2016.
Dive Insight:
The County Council unanimously agreed to ban the polystyrene materials. The measure requires the the county government and its contractors to use compostable or recyclable disposable food containers by January 1, 2016, and will go into effect for private businesses beginning on January 1, 2017.
Restaurants, grocery stores and cafeterias will not be able to use plates, cups, egg cartons, or other similar materials made from styrofoam under the ban.
Montgomery County is the latest area to implement a polystyrene ban. Cities such as New York City, Seattle, Minneapolis and San Francisco have implemented citywide bans. Somerville, MA passed its polystyrene ban in May of 2013.
The law will be enforced by the Department of Environmental Protection, which will investigate public violations claims.