Styrofoam ban soon to impact local shelters

SALISBURY, Md.- A styrofoam ban will soon go into effect July 1, 2020 in Maryland, and that has organizations thinking about how they will make the change, since they use Styrofoam trays to serve food to the homeless.

“We will try to partner with other companies that could possibly donate the paper products, so we would look for donations,” Anthony Dickerson, Executive Director of Christian Shelter Incorporated, said.

Because Christian Shelter Incorporated, in Salisbury, does not receive federal funding this ban could create a financial burden.

“If we have to switch over and don’t receive paper products, then it’s going to create a hardship for us if we have to come out of pocket,” Dickerson said.

An official, at the Wicomico County Solid Waste Recycling center, agreed that this will be hard financially for businesses and shelters, since there’s not a lot of cost effective alternatives.

“It will be because there isn’t enough of the plant based replacements out there yet,” Jennifer Albero, Wicomico County Solid Waste Recycling Coordinator, said.

But Albero said the financial burden is a small price to pay when it comes to helping the environment.

“This is a great step we need to keep going to move away from all petroleum based plastics which is all of them,” Albero said.

Albero said that restaurants and organizations can use plant based paper and wax based cardboard products instead of styrofoam.

Albero also told 47ABC that if businesses are caught using styrofoam when the ban goes into effect, they will receive a written warning. Then, on a second offense they will receive a $250 dollar fine.