A new ban on polystyrene foam went into effect in New Jersey on May 4th. New Jersey is fining violators “$200 for a first infraction, $500 for a second violation, and $1,000 for a third lapse”. The state’s ban is joining similar prohibitions in New York, Washington D.C., Maine, and Vermont and will be shortly followed by others in Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, and Los Angeles County throughout 2024 and 2025. L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl is calling the measure “the big one” and saying “it’s time we put a fork in our use of plastics and took a bite out of the overwhelming amount of plastic county residents needlessly use”.