The Illinois House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that would ban single-use polystyrene plastics from food service institutions this past month.

On March 21, the Illinois house voted to pass the Polystyrene Reduction Act with a vote of 67-43. If passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, the bill would ban the use of polystyrene plastics, like foam takeout boxes, by 2025. 

Though the bill is still in the Senate, Illinois did pass Senate Bill 1915 in June 2022, which “prohibits the procurement and use of single-use plastic disposable foodware at State parks, natural areas and the Illinois State Fair.”

“I’m all for it,” said Joshua Huang, freshman in AHS. 

Huang, who sees the proposed bill as a shift towards “more sustainable and more viable options” for our ecosystem, was a patron at Raising Cane’s, which would potentially be affected by the bill.

A study by the Rochester Institute of Technology from 2016 found that 11 million pounds of plastic go into Lake Michigan every year. Lake Michigan provides 85% of the water for public systems in northeastern Illinois, which includes Chicago and its surroundings.  

“See here, they’re very cautious about the environment,” said Phouvong Phetohanevno, owner of the Y Eatery on campus, referring to his establishment. The Y Eatery made the switch from Styrofoam to sugarcane-based takeout boxes in August 2022, but it hasn’t come without drawbacks. 

“These boxes will soak up all the moisture out of the food,” Phetohanevno said. “So when we let people know here, if you’re taking liquid stuff out of here in these boxes, the box is gonna get really soggy after a few hours.”

While the longevity of food is an issue, the most significant issue comes down to cost. 

“(Cost) is pretty much the biggest thing that deters pretty much all the restaurants,” Phetohanevno said regarding the change to more sustainable products. At the Y Eatery, each sugarcane-based takeout box costs about 25 cents — two and a half times higher than the previously used 10 cent Styrofoam boxes. 

However, the Polystyrene Reduction Act would not apply to restaurants with a gross income below $500,000 per year. The average restaurant in the U.S. brings in just under that $486,000 annually. The exclusion also extends to food pantries, soup kitchens and nonprofits. 

From a business perspective, the change may cause a hit to the pocketbook. But for others, it is what Huang describes as a “necessary change.”

“I think that’s a good step forward to implement greener options,” Huang said.

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