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Polystyrene Fact Sheet

The proposed ban would prohibit food service providers in Baltimore City from using polystyrene foam food containers and packaging. Alternatives made from paper, sugar cane or recycled pulp cost 2 to 6 cents more but are readily available from various suppliers. Polystyrene is problematic because it is the most common form of litter, takes centuries to decompose, and releases toxic chemicals when incinerated. It also cannot be efficiently recycled. Similar bans in other Maryland jurisdictions covering over 2 million people found high rates of business compliance without evidence of undue financial hardship.

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Flannery McArdle
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76 views

Polystyrene Fact Sheet

The proposed ban would prohibit food service providers in Baltimore City from using polystyrene foam food containers and packaging. Alternatives made from paper, sugar cane or recycled pulp cost 2 to 6 cents more but are readily available from various suppliers. Polystyrene is problematic because it is the most common form of litter, takes centuries to decompose, and releases toxic chemicals when incinerated. It also cannot be efficiently recycled. Similar bans in other Maryland jurisdictions covering over 2 million people found high rates of business compliance without evidence of undue financial hardship.

Uploaded by

Flannery McArdle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Support a Polystyrene Ban in Baltimore City

What?
The proposed Polystyrene Ban prohibits the use of polystyrene foam food service ware and
food packaging including cups, plates, dishes, bowls, trays, clamshell containers, take-away
containers, or similar items used for serving food or transporting prepared food.

Who is affected? Alternatives


Food Service Providers including full and The lowest cost alternative products are
limited-service restaurants, small cafes, coffee between 2 and 6 cents more expensive and
shops, fast casual food service, fast food are readily available at large vendors
restaurants, food carts, food trucks, institutions, including Restaurant Depot, World Centric,
schools, universities, churches, and nonprofit BioMass packaging, Webstaurant Store, Eco-
organizations Products, and Food Service Warehouse

Why Ban Polystyrene?


• Polystyrene is the most common form of litter in Baltimore City: The Trash Wheel has
collected nearly 700,000 polystyrene containers since 2014, representing 30% of all waste.
• Polystyrene litter is toxic: Polystyrene breaks into tiny pieces, takes centuries to
decompose and pollutes our waterways with Styrene, a known cancer-causing chemical.
Incinerating polystyrene waste, made using petroleum byproducts, is like burning oil and
contributes to asthma, heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. Baltimore
has the highest emissions-related mortality of all large cities in the country. Alternative
products made of paper, sugar cane or recycled pulp, even if incinerated or littered, do not
have the same toxic effects on our health and environment.
• Polystyrene cannot be recycled efficiently: Polystyrene is lightweight, high volume, and
easily breaks apart making it expensive and difficult to collect and transport to recycling
plants. Even if polystyrene could be efficiently collected and recycled, there is little to no
market for recycled polystyrene products.

Polystyrene Bans in Maryland


• Nearly 120 cities across the country have implemented a ban against polystyrene products.

• Existing bans in Prince George’s County, Takoma Park, Montgomery County and D.C.
metro area currently cover 2.5 million people and nearly 15,000 regulated businesses.

• 88% of D.C. area businesses were compliant with the law one year after it took effect.

• In a sample of businesses in Prince George’s County 91% of businesses were compliant


with the ban.

• There is no evidence in any of these jurisdictions that banning polystyrene created undue
financial hardship on businesses or led to retailers going out of business.

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