Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumGov. Mills signs law banning foam food and drink containers
https://www.pressherald.com/2019/04/30/gov-mills-signs-law-banning-foam-food-and-drink-containers/Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law Tuesday that made Maine one of the first states to ban single-use food and drink containers made from polystyrene.
The law prohibits restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks, grocery stores and other covered establishments from using containers made of polystyrene known by the trade name Styrofoam as of Jan. 1, 2021.
Hospitals, seafood shippers and stores that sell pre-packaged meat are exempt from the ban.
Maine has proven itself an environmental leader once again, this time in eliminating disposable foam containers that have become a common, costly, and deadly form of plastic pollution, said Sarah Lakeman, sustainable Maine director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
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PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,811 posts)will we be back to the paper cups we used to have?
I very rarely get any kind of beverage for carry-out, as it happens. But when travelling I often stop at a fast food place to eat and drink. Actually, I almost never get a soft drink, just water, but it still needs to be in something.
Maine-i-acs
(1,499 posts)Already in use around here in many cases.
An easy conversion (like the Bottle Bill)
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,811 posts)Sort of like the straw solution.
The only time I ever use a straw is when I'm on a road trip and buy a soft drink. Otherwise in restaurants I haven't use them in years.
pansypoo53219
(20,950 posts)PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,811 posts)I normally have one cup of instant coffee each morning at home. The only other time I get a coffee is if I'm having breakfast in a restaurant, and usually that's served in a real cup.
Maine-i-acs
(1,499 posts)further subtext unnecessary
Finishline42
(1,091 posts)Why are these exempted? Especially the 'stores that sell pre-packaged meat'?
Hospitals, seafood shippers and stores that sell pre-packaged meat are exempt from the ban.
Maine-i-acs
(1,499 posts)the current setup (styrofoam + absorbent) does not quite yet translate to alternative packaging - there is a risk of microbes multiplying, so food safety concerns are a little more acute.