Title: Is the End Near for Plastic Foam Foodware Packaging?
Plastic foam food packaging, often referred to as Styrofoam, was once a common sight at music festivals, coffee shops, and takeaway outlets. However, concerns about its environmental impact are leading a rising number of U.S. states to restrict or ban its use.
Recent developments include California's SB54 regulations, which, effective from January 1, 2023, effectively banned plastic foam foodware. Producers wishing to continue selling expanded polystyrene (EPS) food service ware in the state must demonstrate a 25% recycling rate from January 1, 2025. Failure to meet this requirement may result in EPS food service ware producers being prohibited from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing such products into California.
Oregon also implemented regulations (SB 543) on January 1, 2023, banning plastic foam foodware, single-use coolers, and packing peanuts. Plastic foam is a substantial contributor to plastic pollution in both California and worldwide.
Volunteers with Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup have removed over 750,000 plastic foam items and 700,000 tiny foam pieces from California's beaches and waterways since 1988. Dr. Anja Brandon, Ocean Conservancy's director of plastic policy, estimates that the new regulations could eliminate up to 3.9 billion pieces of foam foodware annually in California.
Several states, including California, Illinois, New York, and Washington, have already passed legislation to phase out single-use plastic foam products. Oregon's ban now stands in effect, while New York's will take effect in 2025. Illinois already has a July 1, 2023, start date for its ban, and Washington will follow in 2027.
There's strong public support for reducing foam foodware use, with 72% of U.S. voters backing such policies, according to recent Oceana polling data. Furthermore, California, Illinois, New York, and Washington have passed laws to phase out small plastic bottles for shampoo, conditioner, and other personal care products.
State-level bans are seen as an essential step in reducing demand and encouraging national regulations, preventing plastic foam from breaking down into microplastics, which can harm marine life and spread via wind and currents.
The Ocean Conservancy is advocating for a federal ban on plastic foam foodware, encouraging Congress to pass the Farewell to Foam Act and eliminate this form of plastic nationwide. As producers aim to meet growing demands and minimize waste, alternatives to plastic foam foodware are readily available.
Oregon joins California in banning plastic foam foodware and single-use coolers, aligning with Oceana's goal of reducing foam foodware use across the United States. Meanwhile, California's plastic foam ban, as indicated by Ocean Conservancy's data, could prevent up to 3.9 billion pieces of foam foodware from entering its oceans annually, potentially impacting California and Oregon's shared coastline with the Pacific Ocean.
