MD House Passes Styrofoam Food Container Ban

Md. Styrofoam Ban Passes, Awaits Governor's Signature

Just one more step until it’s official: Maryland will ban the use of polystyrene disposable food containers.

Last week Bay Bulletin told you the state Senate passed a ban on expanded polystyrene (EPS) food service products. Read more here. Now, the ban has passed the House of Delegates, and must be signed by Governor Larry Hogan. It would be the first statewide ban in the nation. If it’s signed, that means no one in Maryland can sell foam food containers on or after January 1, 2020.

 I expect that Hogan will sign it.

The nonprofit group Trash Free Maryland says polystyrene is a major pollution risk because its tiny beads absorb chemicals from the water, and are in turn eaten by marine life. Large local governments in Maryland have already passed foam container bans recently, including Baltimore City.

I've never seen any study which shows that adsorption of pollutants onto plastics, let alone styrofoam of any kind actually constitute any significant source of toxins to animal. It's just one of those things that's been thrown out as a possibility. My educated guess is that plastics are more likely to adsorb and sequester pollutants away from organisms. Which shouldn't be read as a reason to spread it around the environment unnecessarily.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Alita – Battle Angel ready and waiting at The Other McCain.