Advocates head to Springfield to support legislation to phase out plastic foam food ware

Illinois has a plastic pollution problem. Every year, Americans throw away millions of pieces of single-use plastic “stuff” — and too often pollution ends up in our Great Lakes, where it can harm or even kill birds and marine animals such as turtles and fish. Nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute our planet for centuries.

The good news is that the Illinois legislature has the opportunity to reduce single-use plastic waste, starting with the worst of the worst: plastic foam cups, containers and other food items.

On February 22, 2023 members of the Coalition for Plastic Reduction, a coalition of more than 35 organizations including Environment Illinois, headed to Springfield to meet with legislators and garner support for legislation introduced by Representative Gong-Gershowitz and Senator Fine.

The more than 30 activists that participated in the lobby day met with their legislators and shared their reasons for supporting action to reduce single-use plastics.

Already eight states and roughly 200 cities and municipalities have enacted bans on polystyrene foam containers. The Midwest is behind in tackling this problem despite the critical need to protect our Great Lakes. Illinois has the opportunity this year to lead the region by passing a statewide ban on cups and containers made of polystyrene foam.

Contact your legislators to ask for their support of HB2376 and SB100.