Advocates praise bills aimed at reducing plastic, polystyrene use

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed several bills last month aimed at reducing plastic and polystyrene use. Two other bills environmental advocates say are important steps to improving reusable systems and minimizing waste are still awaiting his signature.

Senate Bill 58 would require state agencies and public universities to significantly reduce their purchase of single-use plastics, including materials made out of polystyrene, which is the main substance in foam takeout containers.

In 2018, the World Health Organization classified styrene, a building block of polystyrene, as a “possible carcinogen.” It’s also harmful for workers in factories that produce it, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration.

The goal of Senate Bill 58 is to encourage companies to move toward manufacturing more environmentally friendly options, like paper products, said Andrea Densham, a senior policy adviser with the Great Lakes Alliance.

“We can do that by using the marketplace, which you know, the state of Illinois is a large purchaser,” Densham said.

But some working in restaurants have concerns about a possible industrywide polystyrene ban in the future.

Ghaleb Massoud runs Yaba’s Middle Eastern Grill in Logan Square and said recent efforts by Illinois lawmakers to encourage producers to switch to nonpolystyrene options could hurt the business.

Every month Massoud checks online prices for foam takeout containers, purchasing the cheapest option for his family-run restaurant.

“The alternative will be very expensive for us,” he said. “Actually, many restaurants cannot afford it.”

For an 8-ounce foam container, Massoud said typical prices are 4 to 5 cents each. Paper containers, which are biodegradable, are around 22 cents. Massoud said he would have to increase menu prices to offset this cost, potentially losing customers.

Densham compared the cost of a polystyrene ban to the cost of electric vehicles.

“We used to hear that it would be unbelievably far too expensive for us to move from the cars that we have now to electric vehicles,” she said. “Well, if we build smart policy, we invest in smart ways. We can move in that direction.”

Bills that ban polystyrene at the restaurant and consumer level have been introduced but with little success. Only three states — Maine, Maryland and Vermont — have laws limiting or banning polystyrene products, according to the advocacy group Environment Illinois.

In Chicago, an attempt in 2020 by Northwest Side Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, didn’t get support from the City Council.

The Illinois Restaurant Association has stated that lawmakers should consider the financial hardships placed on restaurants by a polystyrene ban. Instead, the association supports restaurants’ voluntary efforts to decrease environmental impacts.

On the plastics side of things, there’s also House Bill 2086, which will allow customers to refill their own containers with ready-made food at restaurants and retailers. The bill states that health departments can regulate but not prohibit consumer-owned containers, as well as outlining health and safety guidelines for handling them.

Containers have to be “clean, sanitary and free from debris, smooth, durable and easy-to-clean,” among other guidelines. They have to be handled separately from the serving surface on a cleaned surface after every refill.

“If a restaurant’s operations are set up for it, they can opt-in, but it is up to each restaurant and health code guidance,” said Sam Toia, president and CEO of the restaurant association.

A spokesperson for state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, co-sponsor of the reusable containers bill, said this bill would also apply to someone wanting to scoop their leftovers into their own container after dining.

Environmental advocates said it’s important to not just limit harmful materials but to also improve reusable systems.

“There’s a growing trend toward providing consumers with increased options to reduce the amount of plastics that they use in their life,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “And right now, many times, people are without those options.”

At Beatrix Market in the Loop, customers come and go at the hot food bar. A spokesperson for Stava-Murray said buffet-style restaurants aren’t expected to comply with these requirements.

Kevin Trojanowski, managing partner for Beatrix Market, said they still want to do their part in reducing waste. Years ago, they used to have plastic containers that would just get thrown out after customers ate something quick at the market.

“We were finding our garbages were just filled with plastic to-go containers, and I was mortified,” he said.

They’ve since switched to compostable cardboard containers and Trojanowski said they’ll likely stick to their policy of not allowing personal, reusable containers.

“I don’t know that that container has been properly cleaned; I don’t know that it’s been properly sanitized,” he said. “And now, when they are putting food into that container, whatever utensil they are using is now getting cross-contaminated.”

Jesse Armenpa, owner of Aglaïa Coffee and Tea Co. in West Town, follows a similar protocol. They don’t handle outside coffee cups for the safety of their staff.

Instead, they’ll make coffee in their own biodegradable cups and transfer it to the customer’s cup. Armenpa said it still saves a lid, cup sleeve or straw.

Afternoon Briefing

Weekdays

Chicago Tribune editors’ top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon.

“Everything we use has to go through a sanitation process to make sure that it’s reusable, that it’s food-grade clean,” he said. “And unfortunately we can’t ensure that with outside cups.”

Although he isn’t completely onboard with a bill on reusable containers, Armenpa said Aglaïa’s ethos has always been about sustainability. They’ve had biodegradable cups since opening in 2020.

“You think about, you know, independent coffee shops, just one little place, how much garbage it can create,” he said. “And so that’s the one thing that we can do.”

Other bills awaiting the governor’s signature include one that would require new buildings to have a bottle-filling station wherever there is a water fountain and another that would examine the state government’s recycling practices and provide data for future legislation.

Densham with the Great Lakes Alliances said she hopes to keep working with stakeholders across different industries to create a more sustainable future. Part of that is making sure consumers understand their own purchasing power.

“Every time we purchase something we’re making a decision,” she said. “Each of you has the power to help make choices, and I think folks underestimate how many times they’re in positions of power.”

vla@chicagotribune.com