New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has reportedly signed a law banning single-use plastic and paper bags and imposing limits on other food containers and straws. Effective May 2022, the law will ban the use of polystyrene food and drink containers, and single-use plastic straws may only be provided upon request beginning in November 2021. Some products will be exempt until 2024, including meat and fish trays, food prepackaged in polystyrene by the manufacturer, polystyrene soda spoons used for thick drinks and portion cups for foods requiring a lid.
Tag Archives polystyrene
Maine has reportedly become the first state to ban single-use food and drink containers made from polystyrene. The law, which will take effect in 2021, echoes a similar bill in Maryland that has been passed by the legislature but remains unsigned by the governor. According to the Associated Press, Oregon, Vermont and Connecticut are considering polystyrene bans as well. The Florida legislature has reportedly passed a law that would prevent municipalities from regulating plastic straws until 2024. Some cities, including Miami Beach, previously passed ordinances preventing restaurants and bars from providing plastic straws or prohibiting the use of plastic straws at public parks and beaches. The bill is awaiting the governor's signature.
Three restaurant owners, along with the California Restaurant Association (CRA) and Dart Cardboard Corp. of California, have reportedly filed a lawsuit challenging San Diego's ban on polystyrene food containers, alleging that the city failed to conduct an environmental review before instituting the ban. "The CRA has filed a legal challenge to hold city government accountable for following a legally-required process. The lack of an environmental study in San Diego prior to the city considering a ban on polystyrene food packaging is alarming," CRA stated in a tweet. "The City ignored a critical step in evaluating the environmental impact that replacement products will have at local landfills, along beaches and to air and water quality. We have all the confidence in the legal process and that the court will validate our complaint." Meanwhile, Maryland may reportedly become the first state to ban polystyrene food containers. The Maryland legislature has sent a…
