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Phase-out of polystyrene foam
Decline of polystyrene foam use From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In the late 20th and early 21st century, there has been a global movement towards the phase-out of polystyrene foam as a single use plastic (SUP). Early bans of polystyrene foam intended to eliminate ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), formerly a major component.
Expanded polystyrene, often termed Styrofoam, is a contributor of microplastics from both land and maritime activities. Polystyrene is not biodegradeable but is susceptible to photo-oxidation, and degrades slowly in the ocean as microplastic marine debris. Animals do not recognize polystyrene foam as an artificial material, may mistake it for food, and show toxic effects after substantial exposure.
Full or partial bans of expanded and polystyrene foam commonly target disposable food packaging. Such bans have been enacted through national legislation globally, and also at sub-national or local levels in many countries.
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Legislation around the world
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National legislation
China banned expanded polystyrene takeout/takeaway containers and tableware in 1999, but later revoked the policy in 2013 amidst industry lobbying.[1] Haiti banned foam food containers in 2012 to reduce waste in canals and roadside drains. In 2019, the European Parliament voted 560 to 35 to ban all food and beverage containers made from expanded polystyrene throughout the European Union member states.[2] Canada amended its 'Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999' in 2022 to prohibit foodservice ware made of expanded or extruded polystyrene, and also polyvinyl chloride, black colored plastics, or oxo-degraded plastics. [3]
Summary
Polystyrene foam banned
Partial ban
Subnational legislation
In Australia, over 97% of the population live in an area that bans expanded polystyrene. Between 2021-2023, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia enacted bans. [59][60][61][62][63][64]
Nigeria's states of Lagos and Abia introduced bans in January 2024, with an initial transition period of three weeks.[65] The state of Oyo introduced a ban in March 2024.[66]
Municipal bans in the Philippines are in effect in Bailen,[67] Boracay,[68] Caloocan,[69] Cordova,[70] El Nido,[71] Las Piñas,[72] Makati,[73] Mandaluyong City,[74] Muntinlupa,[75] Quezon City,[76] and Tacloban.[77]
In the United Arab Emirates, the municipal government of Dubai announced a ban affecting polystyrene in 2025, and all single-use plastic food containers in 2026.[78]
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Phaseout in the United States
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Polystyrene foam banned
Local bans on polystyrene
No legal restrictions
As of May 2025, 12 U.S. states and two territories have passed statewide legislation to explicitly ban polystyrene foam:
- In 2019, Maryland was the first state to enact a ban, which went into effect on October 1, 2020.[79] Bans were also passed that year in Maine and Vermont, with both states' laws taking effect on July 1, 2021.[80][81]
- In 2020, New York passed a ban that took effect on January 1, 2022, while New Jersey passed a ban that took effect on May 4, 2022.[82][83]
- In 2021, Colorado passed a ban that took effect on January 1, 2024.[84] Virginia passed a ban on polystyrene food containers coming into force in July 2025 (for larger businesses) and July 2026 (for businesses with less than 20 locations). Washington also passed a polystyrene ban, effective starting in June 2023, with food serviceware prohibited starting June 1, 2024.[85]
- In 2023, Delaware, Oregon and Rhode Island all signed bans into law. Provisions in Oregon and Rhode Island took effect on January 1, 2025, with Delaware's statute entering into force in July 2025.[86][87][88]
- In 2025, California de jure banned polystyrene as a result of the state's legislature passing the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB54) in June 2022. [89] The law codifies extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements for plastics, including a requirement that polystyrene be banned if recycling rates do not reach 25% by 2025. Recycling rates averaged 6% at passage, leading some to call the law a 'de facto ban', anticipating an inability to comply.[90][91] In May 2025, the state's recycling and waste management agency, CalRecycle, indicated in its biennial report to the legislature that EPS producers were "prohibited from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing EPS food service ware", with similar language used in a listserv bulletin distributed in April 2025.[92][93]
- Washington, D.C. banned polystyrene foam takeout containers on January 1, 2016. The ban was expanded on January 1, 2021, to include the retail sale of polystyrene foam.[94]
- American Samoa banned the import, sale, and distribution of polystyrene foam containers on February 6, 2024, taking effect 60 days later.[95]
In Hawaii, a de facto ban is in effect after every county enacted polystyrene bans except state-administered Kalawao County. Bans in Hawaii County took effect July 2019, followed by Kauai County, Maui County, and Honolulu County in 2022.[96][97][98] Maui separately banned polystyrene foam coolers, and the sale or rental of disposable bodyboards in 2022.[99][100]
Local legislation
Local bans have been enacted elsewhere, including in many large and small cities within the US:
- Alaska — In Alaska, the towns of Bethel, Cordova, and Seward have enacted bans.[101][102][103]
- California — Prior to implementation of statewide prohibitions under SB54, at least 128 cities in California had an existing polystyrene ban in some form, some with stricter provisions than state requirements.[104] 12 counties — namely Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma have bans affecting the general public. Additionally, 28 municipalities in other counties, namely Arcata, Camarillo, Carlsbad, Carpinteria, Dana Point, Davis, Del Mar, Encinitas, Goleta, Imperial Beach, Laguna Beach, Nevada City, Newport Beach, Oceanside, Ojai, Oxnard, Palm Springs, Port Hueneme, San Clemente, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Solana Beach, South Lake Tahoe, Thousand Oaks, Truckee, Ventura, Vista, and Yountville have bans. Together these laws cover over 20.6 million people, or about 53% of the state's population. The city of Berkeley passed the nation's first polystyrene foodware ban in 1988, while also requiring all disposable foodware to be degradable or recyclable.
- Connecticut — Hamden, Groton,[105] Norwalk,[106] Stamford,[107] and Westport[108] have all enacted bans. Hamden enacted the state's first ban in 1989, and continues to retain its original ordinance.[109][110]
- Georgia — South Fulton banned single-use plastics in 2019.[111] Atlanta banned polystyrene at city-owned buildings, including Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.[112]
- Illinois — Oak Park[113] and River Forest[114] have enacted bans. In 2023, the state legislature passed a ban affecting state agencies and universities.[115]
- Massachusetts — At least 66 municipalities have bans on polystyrene, including Abington, Acton, Amherst, Andover, Arlington, Athol, Attleboro, Brookline, Buckland, Cambridge, Chatham, Chelmsford, Concord, Dennis, Eastham, Easthampton, Essex, Fairhaven, Falmouth, Georgetown, Gloucester, Grafton, Great Barrington, Greenfield, Hadley, Hamilton, Hanson, Ipswich, Lee, Lenox, Lexington, Lincoln, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Maynard, Medford, Melrose, Nantucket, Newton, Northborough, Northampton, Orleans, Pittsfield, Provincetown, Raynham, Reading, Revere, Rockport, Salem, Saugus, Shrewsbury, Somerville, South Hadley, Stockbridge, Sudbury, Swampscott, Upton, Wayland, Wellfleet, Westborough, Westfield, Westford, Whitman, Williamstown, Winthrop, and Yarmouth.
- Minnesota — Minneapolis enacted a ban in 1989, and amended the largely unenforced ban in 2015.[116][117] In 2017, the city of St. Louis Park effectively banned single-use polystyrene after mandating reusable, compostable, or locally recyclable packaging. Similar bans were later implemented by the cities of Edina, Roseville, and Saint Paul.[118][119][120] In 2009, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe tribal nation passed a resolution seeking to eliminate the use of Styrofoam.[121]
- New Hampshire — Portsmouth enacted the first ban in New Hampshire in 2020.[122]
- New Mexico — Santa Fe and Bernalillo Counties passed bans affecting unincorporated parts of their respective counties.[123][124] The town of Taos also enacted a ban.[125]
- Pennsylvania — The Boroughs of Ambler,[126] Narberth,[127] Newtown,[128] Phoenixville,[129] Swarthmore,[130] West Conshohocken,[131] and Townships of Abington,[132] East Fallowfield,[133] Montgomery,[134] Newtown,[135] Solebury,[136] Tredyffrin,[137] Upper Merion,[138] Upper Moreland,[139] Uwchlan,[140] West Goshen,[141] West Vincent,[142] and Whitpain[143] enacted bans.
- South Carolina — The city of Charleston adopted an ordinance in 2018, with the surrounding Charleston County adopting a similar ordinance the year after.[144][145] Municipal bans on polystyrene were also passed in Arcadia Lakes,[146] Edisto Beach,[147] Folly Beach,[148] Isle of Palms,[149] James Island,[150] Kiawah Island,[151] Mount Pleasant,[152] Seabrook Island,[153] and Sullivan's Island.[154]
Proposed legislation
As of May 2025, proposed legislation banning polystyrene has previously passed at least one legislative chamber in three states and one territory.
In Nevada, Assembly Bill 244 passed the state Assembly on April 17, 2025, and the state Senate on May 21, 2025. The bill awaits signature by Governor Joe Lombardo before taking effect. If enacted, retailers with 10 or more locations in Nevada would be prohibited from using disposable polystyrene foodware starting July 1, 2025, expanding to all retail locations by January 1, 2029.[155]
In Illinois, the state Senate passed SB 1531 on April 30, 2025, which would prohibit the use of disposable food service containers starting in 2030.[156] The bill expands on previously enacted legislation affecting public agencies and universities. The Illinois state House previously passed HB2376 on March 21, 2023, which died when the session ended.[157]
In Montana, the state legislature passed HB 477 in 2025, after being approved in the state House on March 1, 2025 by a vote of 56-41, and the state Senate on March 25, 2025 by a vote of 26-22. On May 1, 2025, Governor Greg Gianforte vetoed the bill, preventing the law's passage.[158] Bozeman citizens separately passed a polystyrene ban through a citizen initiative in November 2024 by a vote of 63%, after supporters of the ballot initiative prevailed in a District Court lawsuit regarding HB407, a state law preempting local single-use plastic bans.[159][160] A Montana Supreme Court ruling in December 2024 overturned the initial District Court ruling, finding that preemptive laws apply to local ordinances, whether passed by municipal governments or citizen initiatives.[161] A separate District Court lawsuit remains pending, whether local governments have authority to uphold 'clean and healthful environments' as stated in the Montana State Constitution. If enacted, Bozeman's ordinance would have taken effect on May 1, 2025.
In Connecticut, SB 118 passed the state Senate in April 2022, but also died when the session ended.[162]
The territory of the Northern Mariana Islands passed HB21-89 in its House of Representatives in 2020.[163]
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Notes
- As required per the Northern Ireland Protocol
References
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