Disposable Foam Container Toolkit

Many communities have adopted ordinances that restrict the use of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam food containers in order to reduce litter and waste. Due to its prevalence in our communities and lightweight nature, EPS foam has become a very common and problematic form of plastic litter. What’s more is that virtually all EPS foam in Maine is destined to become waste because it is not an economically viable recyclable commodity in this state. Use this toolkit to explore how you can require that establishments in your community provide alternatives to EPS containers that are reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable and have a comparatively lesser overall environmental impact.

Maine Becomes First in the Nation to Ban Foam Food Containers Statewide

In 2019, Maine Governor Janet Mills and the Legislature passed two significant bills into law that target two top sources of plastic pollution: single-use plastic bags and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam food ware. There have been a lot of questions about how the new foam food container law will be implemented, so to help Maine residents, towns, and businesses better understand what it means to them, our Sustainable ME team created this handy summary:

Goes into effect: January 1, 2021

Applies to: Restaurants, markets, nursing homes, and food trucks. No eating establishment may serve food in containers made in whole or in part from EPS foam products.

Does Not Apply to: Food packaged out of state and sold in Maine. Maine consumers may still see meat, fish, or eggs packaged in foam.

Does Not Pre-empt Any Existing Local Policy: This means that if your town has adopted a more restrictive ordinance regarding foam, then the affected business will have to comply with both laws—whichever is more restrictive.

Below is a full list of Maine towns that currently have ordinances that ban the use of foam containers.