More than 20 million pounds of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes every year, half of which winds up in Lake Michigan. To cut off at least a portion of that flow at its source, legislators in Illinois are moving toward a ban on plastic foam cups, containers and utensils.
On Tuesday, the Illinois House of Representatives passed legislation — by a 67-43 vote — that would phase out single-use polystyrene foam foodware beginning in January 2024. A companion bill has been introduced in the Illinois Senate and awaits action.
Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, called the vote a “huge step forward” in acknowledging that “we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis.”
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