Maine just became the first state to ban styrofoam

styrofoam take-out container.
(Image credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

Maine is leading the war on styrofoam after signing a bill banning the material from businesses this week.

The law will prohibit restaurants, caterers, coffee shops, and grocery stores from using to-go styrofoam containers, reports CNN.

Maine's law also applies to plastic beverage stirrers, and violators could face a $100 fine.

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The banned material, which cannot be recycled, has come under scrutiny for its potential to damage the environment. Maryland's legislature has also proposed a bill banning polystyrene, another name for styrofoam, in an effort to curb reliance on single-use plastics, per CNN.

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Marianne Dodson

Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.