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Sunday, March 17, 2019

Bill passes to make Maryland first state to ban foam food containers

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday to make Maryland the first state to ban the use of foam food containers and cups.

Half of Maryland residents already live in areas where polystyrene foam is banned. This bill makes it statewide.

The bill bans expanded polystyrene, or EPS, foam food containers, often confused with Styrofoam, from being used by restaurants, grocery stores and other food providers. The bill also bans the retail sale of these products.

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26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now all of your take-out meals could see a price hit with the more expensive containers....

Next, if you don't finish all of your meal at a restaurant, the box to take the leftovers home will be more expensive - prepare to be charged for that as well!

Follow the money trail on this one folks - who supported it and how will they make money? Meanwhile, the existing containers could be made recyclable...

Anonymous said...

Maryland does anything simple to make headlines. I am disappointed in the governor of MD and the sanctuary hideout. What do they want, food packed in a Crown Royal bag?

JoeAlbero said...

I can tell you being in the business that the alternatives are very expensive and will in fact raise the price on consumers. People in the business count pennies and I just visited the trade show in OC and priced out those alternatives and it's crazy, just like alternative straws. Now they're trying to sell people on metal straws. I'm sorry but I am NOT going to serve straws that went through a dishwasher and put my lips on someone else's straw and I'm confident none of you will accept that either. There's enough scientists out there to create something biodegradable who will become a billionaire but ALL states need to come together with some kind or reasonable replacement. Their argument is that they are seeing these foam containers in fields and fences, not true at all. You may see plastic bags but not these containers. Representatives in Annapolis need to find SOLUTIONS and stop wasting so much time on costing taxpayers even more money simply because they want to be the first state to ban such things.

Anonymous said...

Now that’s funny

Anonymous said...

Currently dirty used food service containers of any material foam,PET, paper lined etc can not be recycled without washing.

Anonymous said...

I once went to a restaurant years ago, that used a hollow, long straw like pasta noodle as a straw. Super easy, it didnt get mushy or anything. This may be worth looking into for straws. You may even be able to make your own, just get a good pasta maker

Anonymous said...

Of all the important issues this is how they spend their time??!

Anonymous said...

There are solutions out here and if not develop one... Stop being lazy obtuse morons and do something on your own for once...

Anonymous said...

Ny did this in the 80s and 90s. Also hair spray was killing the ozone. Also in the 80s you had to unplug all electrical appliances before bed because power surge would cause black outs and planes will fall from the sky blah blah. It's all a con

Anonymous said...

Use licorice for a straw, then eat it after you use it. Simple solution. Comes in many flavors also.

Anonymous said...

I agree we need something else that can be recycled. However I do see these current food containers all over the Presidents Neighborhood and watch teenagers walk along and will throw them in your yard unless you catch them, also plastic water bottles and plastic Walmart like bags in trees, telephone lines, and shrubs. City inspectors travel through here all the time and never write up anything, including untagged vehicles and expired license plates. If you don't enforce rules why have them?

Anonymous said...

@Joe Difference between a metal straw and a metal fork going in the mouth?

Anonymous said...

9:49- Just as soon as you stop being an ass for once. What's obtuse about it? Did you just want to try and sound smart? Sad sack!

Anonymous said...

This is not hard or expensive. McDonalds did away with styrofoam containers 20 years ago. The cardboard box replacements have been perfectly good. The Whole Foods food bar uses paper containers for everything from Soup to salads and they work fine.

Anonymous said...

I can drink my drink without a straw. I have been served drinks with straws for over 50 years and the first thing I do is take the straw out and lay it on the table. If you want to save the plant stop having so many kids and stop welfare while you are at it.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to start bringing a container along with me. There are lots of cheap snap lid reusables in my cupboard, even a few Tupperware pieces for when I go to high end places.

Anonymous said...

Wrap the sandwich put the fries in a bag. Forget straws. There was life before foam and eating out too for that matter.

Anonymous said...

The more expensive plastic container replacements are not any more biodegradable that the foam ones. Solves nothing. More useless legislation from our lawmakers.

Anonymous said...

Yeah 12:02 you are correct...and look what happened to the Big Mac burger size! So small you can't see it for lettuce and buns! Great move McDonald's.....

Anonymous said...

What a JOKE. The inner harbor look like canals in Indonesia. Yet we are worried about this. WOW. How long does Hogan and our STATE Rep have left in office??

Anonymous said...

There are already styrofoam cups that are 100% recycleable.

Anonymous said...

Try making the windmills off the ocean city coast out of recycled plastic because metal ones won't last.

Anonymous said...

Bingo!

Anonymous said...

12:57-Who is having so many kids? Americans are not reproducing in much lower numbers. What the hell does that and welfare have to do with carry out containers? That is what being obtuse really describes.

Anonymous said...

Damn! I just bought 300,000 of these things!

Jake Burdett said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.