OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington state has eliminated future use of single-use Styrofoam.
A ban on those along with coffee cups, plates, single-use coolers and other consumer items made from what’s known as ‘expanded polystyrene’ takes effect in June of this year.
State lawmakers passed the ban in 2021, and plastic foam packing peanuts were prohibited under the law last year. The Seattle Times reports that recycling the material is possible, but it’s expensive and most residential recycling programs don’t accept it.
There is a fine for breaking the law, but the Department of Ecology states that it will first respond to violators with “education, resources, and technical assistance.”