Support statewide ban on polystyrene foam

On Oct. 14, the Chicago City Council voted to pass an ordinance that will prohibit city departments from purchasing and distributing foodware made of polystyrene foam. While this is a win, we still have a lot of work to do to keep our parks, beaches and waterways clean. The Environment Illinois Research & Education Center’s “Microplastic in Illinois” report found at least one type of microplastic in 100% of tested waterways. This is especially concerning, since you and I will be the ones drinking water from these waterways.

You have likely received a foam container at a restaurant, as have I. Unfortunately, this simple action creates an immense amount of pollution, which is exacerbated by the fact that plastic can take hundreds of years to break down. This is why we must pass SB1531, which would phase out the use of polystyrene foam foodware across the entire state of Illinois. We would join 12 other states that have said farewell to foam.

By doing so, we would be keeping our waterways clean and our ecosystems safe for generations to come.

Anned Ramirez, Coalition for Plastic Reduction, Chicago