Mussman Backs Ban on Styrofoam

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Continuing her advocacy for environmental health, state. Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, is backing a measure that would reduce the usage of polystyrene foam, or Styrofoam, as food packaging.

“I proudly stand as a vocal advocate for a greener and cleaner Illinois,” Mussman said. “The sheer amount of single-use plastic food containers and other products that choke our planet is staggering. Making changes like switching from disposable to reusable can make a significant difference.”

Mussman is co-sponsoring House Bill 5169, which would prohibit stores in Illinois from selling or using disposable containers made of Styrofoam as food packaging. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States alone throws away about 25 billion Styrofoam products every year, 80% of which ends up in landfills, and much of the remaining 20% ends up in waterways. It is estimated that Styrofoam takes 500 years to properly decompose.

“Though banning restaurants and other stores from using Styrofoam is not enough to reverse the damage caused by single-use food and beverage containers, it is a vital step to becoming a more environmentally conscious state,” Mussman said. “I highly encourage my colleagues to join me backing this measure to protect our environment and help Illinois become one of the nation’s leaders in promoting environmentally friendly legislation.”