---
title: "What Maryland’s Proposed Ban on Foam Containers Means For Restaurants"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/0889be5b-5ee0-4dc9-bd05-fb485d791a80
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/what-marylands-proposed-ban-on-foam-containers-means-for-restaurants-2709435
category: "Restaurants"
industry: "Restaurants"
topics: ["Regulation & legal"]
published: 2019-03-18T15:10:03.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:30:48.608Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/b0d2b8203e64b6d2989f4f7f7c7c0dba659.jpg
---

# What Maryland’s Proposed Ban on Foam Containers Means For Restaurants

**TL;DR:** Maryland is considering legislation to ban polystyrene foam containers and cups, which would impact restaurants across the state. The ban would force restaurants to find eco-friendly alternatives for takeout.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2019-03-18. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/what-marylands-proposed-ban-on-foam-containers-means-for-restaurants-2709435).*

## Story

Move over, plastic straws. Styrofoam takeout containers are next on the public’s list of mass-produced items to eliminate in the name of being more green. According to a recent CNBC article, the state of Maryland is considering legislation that would ban polystyrene foam containers and cups, a move that would have a direct and immediate impact on restaurants across the state.

Such a ban would not only force restaurants to find eco-friendly alternatives for takeout that still work for their business, but also open the door for other states to consider similar legislation. While Maryland would be the first state to ban foam containers, cities like New York, Seattle, Washington and Minneapolis have already imposed their own bans, citing the difficulty and costliness of recycling these products.

The article notes that while consumer demand for greener restaurants continues to grow—48 percent of Americans said they would definitely or probably change their spending habits to reduce their environmental impact, according to a Neilsen survey cited in the piece—the restaurant industry has largely been slow to respond.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- restaurant industry (topic)
- new york (location)
- sustainability (topic)
- Maryland (location)
- regulation (topic)
- washington (location)
- Seattle (location)
- Minneapolis (location)
- foam container ban (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/what-marylands-proposed-ban-on-foam-containers-means-for-restaurants-2709435). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/0889be5b-5ee0-4dc9-bd05-fb485d791a80).