As 2025 dawned, several U.S. states, including Oregon, California, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Hawaii, launched bans on expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam packaging and products. Commonly known by the trademarked name Styrofoam, the environmental impact of EPS, a material notorious for its persistence in ecosystems and recycling challenges.

EPS foam is lightweight and brittle. It is a major source of microplastics that persist in the environment and because of its resistance to natural degradation leads to long-term pollution in waterways and landscapes. Additionally, EPS is challenging to recycle, with limited facilities equipped to process the material, resulting in most EPS products ending up in landfills or as litter.

In 1989, the Center for Environmental Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control, first raised the health risks associated with styrene, a component of polystyrene that can interfere with hormones and reproduction, even causing cancer through long-term exposure. As the material entered everyday use, the impact of polystyrene on the environment became painfully clear. In recent years, advocacy groups have campaigned diligently to achieve passage the new bans. British Columbia took the most aggressive action in 2023, prohibiting all single-use plastics, not just EPS.

Scope of the Bans

The new prohibitions target various EPS products:

• Food Service Containers: Single-use items such as cups, plates, bowls, clamshell containers, and trays are now banned. These products are prevalent in the food service industry but pose significant environmental hazards due to their non-biodegradable nature.
• Coolers and Ice Chests: Lightweight, insulating EPS foam coolers are included in the ban. Their tendency to break into smaller particles contributes to widespread environmental contamination.
• Packaging Materials: Items like EPS packing peanuts, often used to cushion products in shipping, are also prohibited under the new regulations.

A Growing Legislative Movement

This year’s wave of bans heralds a growing movement that demands responsible approaches to plastic pollution. Plastic bans first gained momentum in Washington State. In 2024, Washington enacted legislation to phase out EPS products, setting a precedent for other states. At the time, Peter Lyon, Solid Waste Management Program Manager at the Washington Department of Ecology said, “Single-use plastic foam products are cheap to buy, but their environmental cost is high. Expanded polystyrene is difficult to recycle and often ends up becoming litter.”

In 2024, Oregon passed Senate Bill 543, which prohibits selling or distributing EPS foodware containers and packaging peanuts; the state also banned the use of PFAS in food packaging. Governor Tina Kotek remarked, “This legislation is a significant step toward reducing plastic pollution in our state, protecting our natural resources, and promoting public health.” The bill went into effect on January 1st.

California’s SB54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, requires that all plastic food packaging be recyclable and that manufacturers demonstrate that 25% of their material is recycled in 2025 to continue operating in the state. EPS recycling, while evolving, is not currently economically viable in most locales because so much of it must be collected to produce a profit.

Advocacy and Support Ahead

Environmental organizations applauded the new laws, saying they set an example for the rest of the country.

“Not only is styrene toxic for human and environmental health, but so is PFAS in foodware,” Jamie Pang, Environmental Health Program Director at the Oregon Environmental Council, said in an Ocean Conservancy press release. Dr. Anja Brandon of the Ocean Conservancy added: “These bills are a huge victory for the ocean and the Oregon communities that depend on it.“

The recent bans on EPS foam packaging underscore the rising demand for regulations that reduce plastic pollution and safeguard the environment and human health. As the plastic ban movement expands, states are drawing new regulatory lines that define how the material is made and used. Consumer action can reinforce the message to food manufacturers and restaurateurs that they must embrace sustainable practices and address the challenges of single-use plastics.