WuFlu Kills Maryland Foam Ban

Or at least stunts it. Maryland Extends Foam Ban Deadline Due to COVID-19 Shutdowns

Maryland businesses and schools are getting a little more time to make the switch away from foam food containers due to pandemic-related setbacks.

The nation’s first statewide ban on foam food containers passed in the Maryland legislature last year and was set to go into effect July 1, 2020. The disposable foam frequently winds up in the Bay and is particularly dangerous to wildlife.

Now, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is offering a “very limited, 90-day extension to help small businesses and schools that weren’t able to use up their existing inventories because of COVID-19.”

The new law bans the use of food service containers, egg cartons, trays, and plates composed of expanded polystyrene commonly referred to under the trademark name of Styrofoam. Restaurants, grocery stores, schools, and other food-service businesses with foam containers still left in their inventory were supposed to use them up by July 1, but many of those schools and restaurants were closed or had greatly-reduced traffic.

In a statement, Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles explains, “We’re not altering the effective dates of any county or municipal laws on the sale or use of these styrofoam products. This is solely about finding a modest accommodation for those in need in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, while upholding an important new environmental law that could become a model for many other states.”
. . .
In a public notice, MDE says existing inventories of foam food service products may be used until October 1, 2020, but businesses and schools may not buy additional foam products after July 1. Additionally, no person or business may sell foam food service products in the state of Maryland.

Once the ban is in effect, MDE says the counties will have the authority to enforce it will fines for noncompliance. For more information about the new law, see MDE’s Frequently Asked Questions and to read about alternatives to foam products, refer to Montgomery County’s List of Recyclable and Compostable Alternatives for Expanded Polystyrene Food Service Ware.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Michelle Malkin up on time and within budget.