By Jill Gattens
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Environmental groups are praising the passage of legislation that would make Maryland the first state in the nation to ban foam food containers while business groups are warning that the measure will hurt the local economy.
A spokesperson for the Maryland League of Conservation Voters said the legislation will be beneficial for waterways and public health while reducing pollution.
“In terms of reducing pollution, it would reduce waste and the sheer volume of waste will be diminished,” said Kristen Harbeson, the league’s political director. “This is a really big deal for Maryland, and we couldn’t be happier.”
The Sierra Club of Maryland commended the legislation, saying that food containers have a harmful impact the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.
The group said in a statement that food containers are not compostable or recyclable and inevitably make their way into landfills and incinerators.
“This legislation will help Maryland reach its goal of diverting 85 percent of waste by reduction, reuse, and recycling by 2040,” the club said in a statement.
Local jurisdictions such as Montgomery and Prince George’s counties have already implemented their own bans and reported no disruptions and high compliance rates. Anne Arundel County, the City of Annapolis and the City of Baltimore have similar bans that will go into effect next year.
“We applaud the Maryland Senate for taking this important step towards protecting our tourism economy and water by banning foam food containers,” said Josh Tulkin, the director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter. “Some of our cities and counties have already successfully passed their own bans, and we look forward to seeing these protections extend to the entire state.”
Local business groups are not so happy.
The American Chemistry Council, an association of chemical manufacturers, is urging Gov. Larry Hogan to veto this legislation to protect the interests of Maryland businesses and residents.
The council said in a statement that the ban on polystyrene foam packages and containers could actually lead to increased solid waste, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
The group said that a study of similar legislation in New York City showed that restaurants had to spend twice as much money on alternative packaging than for foam containers.
“In an industry with razor sharp profit margins, these costs will negatively impact Maryland restaurateurs and be passed along to hard working Maryland families,” the council said in a statement.
A spokesperson from the governor’s office said Hogan “will carefully review the legislation when it reaches his desk.”
If the bill is signed into law by Hogan, it would prohibit the selling of polystyrene food service products. Businesses and schools would be prohibited from selling or providing food in expanded polystyrene food service products on or after July 1, 2020.
The law is not banning all foam products, just food service products because they can’t be recycled once they get dirty.
The Sierra Club says the foam food containers are carried into waterways by wind and runoff, break down into small beads and absorb toxins. The toxic microplastics are hard to clean up and end up being mistaken as food by fish and marine animals, the club said.
Del. Brooke Lierman, D-Baltimore, said she sponsored the House bill because she became concerned about single-use plastic after seeing so much plastic trash in the streets.
“There are images from around the world of areas covered in plastic,” Lierman said. “The effects from single use plastic are devastating and we need to recycle foam food containers in an economically viable way.”
Lierman acknowledges the ban is the first, not the last, step.
“We want to leave Maryland a cleaner state then we found it,” Lierman said.
1 Comment
Great article Jill! I’ve been curious where Maryland is at on this issue.