As of midnight, Styrofoam products such as trays, cups, plates, clamshell containers and packing peanuts are banned at food service establishments, stores and manufacturers across the five boroughs.
City officials said the ban will have a grace period, without fines, until January 2016.
Nonprofits and businesses with less than $500,000 in annual revenue could qualify for an exemption from the ban. They’d have to prove that using nonfoam materials would create financial hardship.
Administration officials believe that the ban will remove nearly 30,000 tons of expanded polystyrene from the city’s streets, waterways and landfills.
