In the late 20th and early 21st century, there has been a global movement towards the phase-out of polystyrene as a single use plastic (SUP). Early bans of polystyrene foam 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.
Legislation around the world National legislation China banned expanded polystyrene takeout/takeaway containers and tableware in 1999, but later revoked the policy in 2013 amidst industry lobbying. 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. 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.
Summary
Country Legislation Year Ban 2023 Ban 2017–2019 Ban 2027 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2020 Ban 2020 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2019 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2024 Ban 2023 Ban 2022 Ban 2030 Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2018 Ban 2026 Ban 2022 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2026 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2027 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2018 Ban 2016 Ban 2012 Ban 2024 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2021 Ban 2022 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2020 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2021 Ban 2022 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2017 Ban 2021 Ban 2020 Ban 2021 Ban 2021 Ban 2024 (EU) Constituent Countries
Special Municipalities
Ban 2021 (NL) 2019 (AW) 2022 (BO) 2022 (SA) 2021 (SE) Associated States Ban 2022 (NZ) 2018 (NU) Ban 2021 Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2019 Ban 2024 Ban 2019 Ban 2017 Ban 2021 Ban 2021 Ban 2017 (EU) Ban 2021 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2024 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2021 Ban 2019 (EU) Ban 2021 Ban 2022 Ban 2021 Ban 2019 Ban 2019 Ban 2026 Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Overseas Territories
Ban 2023 (ENG) 2021 (NIR) 2022 (SCT) 2023 (WLS) 2023 (IM) 2019 (AI) 2019 (GI) 2019 (TC) Ban 2018 Ban 2017
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.
Nigeria's states of Lagos and Abia introduced bans in January 2024, with an initial transition period of three weeks. The state of Oyo introduced a ban in March 2024.
Municipal bans in the Philippines are in effect in Bailen, Boracay, Caloocan, Cordova, El Nido, Las Piñas, Makati, Mandaluyong City, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, and Tacloban.
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. The national government enacted a ban in 2026.
Phaseout in the United States
As of June 2026, 12 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, 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 1 October 2020. Bans were also passed that year in Maine and Vermont, with both states' laws taking effect on 1 July 2021. In 2020, New York passed a ban that took effect on 1 January 2022, while New Jersey passed a ban that took effect on 4 May 2022. In 2021, Colorado passed a ban that took effect on 1 January 2024. 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 1 June 2024. In 2023, Delaware, Oregon and Rhode Island all signed bans into law. Provisions in Oregon and Rhode Island took effect on 1 January 2025, with Delaware's statute entering into force in July 2025. 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. 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. As a result, producers were restricted from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing EPS food service ware in or into California after January 1, 2025. CalRecycle, the state's recycling and waste management agency, implemented relevant regulations on May 1, 2026. Washington, D.C. banned polystyrene foam takeout containers on 1 January 2016. The ban was expanded on 1 January 2021, to include the retail sale of polystyrene foam. American Samoa banned the import, sale, and distribution of polystyrene foam containers on 6 February 2024, taking effect 60 days later. Puerto Rico banned the use, wholesale, or retail sale of polystyrene foam containers after enacting Law No. 51 of 29 June 2022. Later amendments delayed the operative date of the law from 2024 to 1 January 2027.
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 Kauaʻi County, Maui County, and Honolulu County in 2022. Maui separately banned polystyrene foam coolers, and the sale or rental of disposable bodyboards in 2022.
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. 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. 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, Norwalk, Stamford, and Westport have all enacted bans. Hamden enacted the state's first ban in 1989, and continues to retain its original ordinance. Georgia — Atlanta banned polystyrene at city-owned buildings, including Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The city of South Fulton also banned single-use plastic containers by city departments in 2019, and the city of Clarkston passed a similar resolution in 2021. Illinois — Oak Park and River Forest have enacted bans. In 2023, the state legislature passed a ban affecting state agencies and universities. Massachusetts — At least 71 municipalities have bans on polystyrene, including Abington, Acton, Amherst, Andover, Arlington, Athol, Attleboro, Brookline, Buckland, Cambridge, Chatham, Chelmsford, Concord, Danvers, Dennis, Eastham, Easthampton, Essex, Fairhaven, Falmouth, Georgetown, Gloucester, Grafton, Great Barrington, Greenfield, Hadley, Hamilton, Hanson, Hudson, Ipswich, Lee, Lenox, Lexington, Lincoln, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Maynard, Medford, Melrose, Monson, Nantucket, Needham, Newton, Northborough, Northampton, Orleans, Pittsfield, Plymouth, 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. 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. In 2009, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe tribal nation passed a resolution seeking to eliminate the use of Styrofoam. New Hampshire — Portsmouth enacted the first ban in New Hampshire in 2020. New Mexico — Santa Fe and Bernalillo Counties passed bans affecting unincorporated parts of their respective counties. The town of Taos also enacted a ban. Pennsylvania — The Boroughs of Ambler, Narberth, Newtown, Phoenixville, Swarthmore, West Conshohocken, and Townships of Abington, East Fallowfield, Montgomery, Newtown, Solebury, Tredyffrin, Upper Merion, Upper Moreland, Uwchlan, West Goshen, West Vincent, and Whitpain 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. Municipal bans on polystyrene were also passed in Arcadia Lakes, Edisto Beach, Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, James Island, Kiawah Island, Mount Pleasant, Seabrook Island, and Sullivan's Island. Beaufort County also passed a in 2026.
Proposed legislation As of July 2026, proposed legislation banning polystyrene previously passed at least one legislative chamber in five states and one territory.
Inactive Legislation
In Alaska, HB 25 passed in the state House by a vote of 25-15, and the state Senate by a vote of 13-7 in 2026. Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed the bill on July 3, 2026, preventing it from taking effect. Had it been enacted, the law would take effect on January 1, 2027.
In Connecticut, SB 118 passed the state Senate in April 2022, but died when the session ended.
In Illinois, the state Senate passed SB 1531 on 30 April 2025, which would prohibit the use of disposable food service containers starting in 2030. The bill failed to receive a vote in the state House, and died when the 2025 session ended. The bill expands on previously-enacted legislation affecting public agencies and universities. The Illinois state House previously passed HB2376 on 21 March 2023, which died when the session ended.