Maine Becomes The First State In The Country To Ban Styrofoam Food And Drink Containers

Mainers, say goodbye to styrofoam food and drink containers. According to WMTW, Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law yesterday banning the use of polystyrene, also known as styrophome, for food and drink containers in the state. Maine is the first state to enact such a ban. The law will go into effect on January 1st, 2021.

Environmentalists pushed for the ban, as styrofoam is one of the top ten most littered items in the country. Fifteen Maine cities and towns had already banned it, including Portland.

Here's the thing about styrofoam - technically speaking, it is possible to recycle it. There's just no place in Maine to do so. It breaks down, but it doesn't biodegrade. So, you end up having particles of it everywhere. I think that most people can agree that we don't want that. I think that people won't have a hard time finding an alternative solution, and we'll all end up being better off for it.