Plastic Free Delaware has been working to reduce the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) containers by restaurants, food vendors, and retail stores, and is building support for legislation which would restrict its use in dining establishments.
In February 2023, SB 51 was introduced by Senator Trey Paradee and Representative Paul Baumbach in the Delaware General Assembly. The bill would also address plastic straws (making them available by request only) and single-use plastic picks. This bill mirrors SB 134 from 2021-2022 which passed the Senate before being held up in the House. SB 51 sailed through Senate Committee and passed the Senate on April 7th. On April 26th, SB51 passed successfully out of the House Committee on Health & Human Development. It now awaits a House floor vote.
YOUR VOICE letting your State Representatives know that you support SB 51 is critical now. PLEASE reach out to your state Representative to ask for their support of SB51 which is aimed at reducing expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) food service products in dining establishments in Delaware. SB51 is aimed at addressing the impacts of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), plastic straws, and picks which litter our communities and watersheds. They pollute our water, harm wildlife and lead to human health impacts. Neighboring states, large cities, and many more governments including Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, D.C., VT, CO, and NYC already have such a law in place.
More information is available below. YOUR voice can make a difference!
Expanded Polystyrene is some particularly nasty stuff. It's a foam plastic made from toxic petrochemicals including benzene. It is not biodegradable nor compostable. Instead, it crumbles or photodegrades, breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic microplastic pieces, making it impossible to fully clean up once it is thrown away and escapes into our environment, and allowing it to easily migrate into our food chain and water supplies.
Polystyrene Foam is not accepted in curbside recycling. It's already banned in several other states including neighboring Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and D.C. because it's so harmful to our health and our environment.
Expanded Polystyrene foam is a human health & environmental justice issue. During the manufacturing process, workers exposed to styrene monomers have an increased risk of lymphoma, leukemia, and other forms of cancer. The industry ranks as the 5th largest creator of toxic wastes in the USA and these risks are especially prevalent in fenceline communities.
Expanded Polystyrene foam contributes to climate change. Single use plastic is derived from fossil fuel extraction and refining processes of oil and natural gas.
Polystyrene foam also makes its way into our storm drains and our waterways. It pollutes our environment, harms animals, and increases cleanup costs. Once in the water it will absorb 10 times more pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals than other kinds of plastic, increasing toxin exposure to fish and other aquatic animals and on up the food chain.
Safer and more sustainable alternatives are readily available. It’s time to get polystyrene foam out of Delaware once and for all.
Write to your Delaware state legislators today to ask them to protect us from expanded polystyrene by supporting a new bill being introduced.
Gratefully excerpted from Jan Dell, The Last Beach Cleanup
US Regulatory: Californians Against Waste (CAW) website summarizes harms of polystyrene and local bans. NCEL website has a map of proposed US plastics-related legislation including polystyrene. New York City Sanitation Department Determination for Recyclability of Food-Service Foam is a superb reference (link here).
Global News: Updated Survey Global EPS Foam Container Laws
Fast Food Companies: Updated Survey of use of EPS Foam – Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Global Fast Food Plastic Survey.
US Colleges: Updated Survey of use of EPS Foam – The Last Beach Cleanup’s U.S. College Plastic Survey.
EPS Foam Container Harms:
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