Clear The Shelves: Salem's Styrofoam Ban Set To Begin

SALEM, MA — The ordinance passed by the City Council banning all clamshell packaging for takeout orders, cups for food and drink service at restaurants, as well as cups, plates and packaging for meat, fruits and vegetables at grocery stores, will take effect on Labor Day.

The ban also includes the sale of Styrofoam cups and plates for at-home use at all retail stores in the city.

The Salem Board of Health is charged with enforcing the Styrofoam ban with a first-offense warning and a $100 fine for each additional offense, with every additional day using the containers considered an additional offense.

The city said the ban is part of its attempt to take a "positive step toward fighting climate change and protecting our marine life" since it said the containers are a cause of toxic ocean pollution that some marine life will consume as food and transfer into the food chain.

"As a certified Green Community, Salem has worked hard to protect our local environment, lessen our contributions to the climate crisis and reduce the amount of solid waste we send to landfills," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said in June. "I am proud of our community's ongoing commitment to addressing the challenges before us and view this as another important step in that ongoing work.

"I'm grateful to our business owners, community partners, city staff, and local officials who have helped make this effort possible."

Officials said food establishments are encouraged to use reusable utensils and other service products and that those using disposable products are "strongly encouraged to use biodegradable, compostable or recyclable food service ware."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)