Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Government is moving to ban the use of polystyrene foam — commonly called Styrofoam (which is actually a brand name) —  in the territory.

The bill was introduced in both the House and Senate last week.

 “The polystyrene foam is used to make plates, cups, bowls, trays, and clamshell containers, all commonly used food and beverage containers in American Samoa; and due to the physical properties of polystyrene foam, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency finds, “such materials can have serious impacts upon human health, wildlife, and aquatic environment, and the economy.”

The proposed measure points out that the polystyrene contains a chemical used in the production process call styrene that has been linked to cancer, as well as reproductive and development disorders, by the National Research Council.

“Polystyrene also contains the chemical “benzene” which, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, is a well - established cause of cancer in humans; and the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition states that cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Territory.

The bill says that due to American Samoa’s own unique challenges, such as limited resources and geographic isolation, the continued widespread use of polystyrene foam containers will have a detrimental effect on public health, the land and marine environment, and territorial waste management efforts.

To help transition to acceptable alternative containers, the bill provides a one-year reduction in excise taxes for new types of containers, which are biodegradable and not harmful to health.

Importers will pay a 4 percent excise tax instead of 8 percent for alternative containers during the one-year reprieve.

Penalties for violation of the ban on styrofoam products are:

• ¥          $50-$100 for a first offense
• ¥          $100-$200 for a second offense
• ¥          $400-$500 for a third offense
• ¥          S500-$1,000 for subsequent offenses

Exempted from the ban are:

• ¥          imported prepackaged food
• ¥          Trays used for raw meat, poultry, fish or frozen foos.
• ¥          Polystyrene foam coolers and ice chests intended for reuse
• ¥          Packaging materials for non food items.
  

  The last time ASG attempted to pass a styrofoam ban was during the Lolo Administration in 2020.