Tell lawmakers to ban polystyrene

The holidays are the perfect time for early New Year’s Resolutions. This is why I resolved as a citizen, mother and health care professional to support a statewide ban on polystyrene in 2025. Polystyrene is commonly known by the trade name Styrofoam. HB2376 would phase out retail polystyrene cups, food ware and other containers beginning on Jan. 1, 2025. If HB2376 is signed into law, Illinois would become the 14th state to ban polystyrene.

Why should anyone focus on an economical plastic used in cups or containers for decades? Where will bored youth and young-at heart folk leave their teeth impressions, if not around the rims of Styrofoam cups?

There are two well-established and interrelated problems with polystyrene. The first problem is polystyrene is extremely difficult to recycle. While polystyrene is technically designated as a number “6” recyclable, it is 90% air, rendering it both lightweight and bulky at the same time. These properties translate into inefficient transport and difficult decontamination. This is why over 99% of polystyrene winds up in a landfill, where it can take 500 years to decompose.

The second problem is associated with the widespread formation of polystyrene microplastics after use and subsequent landfill disposal. Multiple evidence-based articles have shown polystyrene microplastics can penetrate human cell tissue and potentially cause serious health problems in reproductive, immune and central nervous systems. Polystyrene is also nationally and globally recognized to increase risk of certain cancers.

These problems are why the approaching New Year is the perfect opportunity for Illinois to support Illinois House Bill (HB) 2376. Resolve to reach out immediately to your state representatives in support of HB2376 and toast to better health in the New Year.

Leslie Ann Kalvass

Libertyville