Authored by Rep. Ivan Blanco, House Bill 21-89 now goes to the Senate, which will hold a session on Friday.
Rep. Edmund Villagomez cast the lone dissenting vote while Rep. Joseph Leepan Guerrero was excused.
In an interview, Villagomez said he has yet to see testimony from anyone in the business community.
He said he supports the idea of protecting the environment by getting rid of non-biodegradable materials, but he also wants to hear first from businesses and other stakeholders that use foam food containers.
Rep. Ivan Blanco, standing left, confers with other members during a break from a House session on Tuesday. Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
In his remarks prior to the roll-call vote, Blanco said his bill “is a small step in our efforts to curb imported materials that are silently harmful to our health and our ecosystem.”
He added, “I hope this sparks the entrepreneurial spirit of our own business-minded individuals to manufacture food and drink containers from local and readily available natural resources.”
H.B. 21-89 would give food establishments, including convenience stores, restaurants, grocery stores, markets and other business establishments, until Jan. 1, 2022 to use containers made of polystyrene foam. After that date, they “may not process, prepare, sell or provide food or beverages in or on a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam.”
The bill, however, would exempt those who use foam containers in an emergency and businesses that bring in prepackaged products at wholesale.
H.B. 21-89 imposes up to $100 fine for any violation, and tasks the Bureau of Environmental Coastal Quality to promulgate the implementing rules and regulations.
