New York (CNN Business) New York City will begin officially enforcing its ban on styrofoam beginning Monday.

that have used styrofoam for take-out or large beverages, and it also prohibits stores from selling "packing peanuts." Businesses are encouraged to switch to compostable materials, including paper. The city outlawed the material on January 1, 2019, but businesses were given a six-month transition period before the crackdown began. The ban largely affects food establishments that have used styrofoam for take-out or large beverages, and it alsoprohibits stores from selling "packing peanuts." Businesses are encouraged to switch to compostable materials, including paper.

The city banned styrofoam, also known as polystyrene, because the material can't be "recycled in a manner that is economically feasible" or "environmentally effective" in its recycling program. Violators will be fined $250 for the first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for third offenses and beyond.

last year "New York City's ban on styrofoam is long overdue, and New Yorkers are ready to start using recyclable alternatives," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio saidlast year when he announced the ban . "There's no reason to continue allowing this environmentally unfriendly substance to flood our streets, landfills and waterways."

The styrofoam ban in New York makes it the largest US city to ban the material. Other cities that have banned it include San Diego, Miami Beach, Seattle and Washington, DC. The material is considered environmentally unfriendly because it breaks into smaller pieces and is hard to clean up. It also absorbs toxins faster than other plastics, and it is not biodegradable.