Styrofoam Alternatives

Styrofoam has become one of the most harmful forms of single-use plastic. More and more states are passing bans to eliminate the use of styrofoam containers. Green Paper Products offers a wide range of sustainable alternatives to styrofoam that are sure to help you eliminate your use of styrofoam.

Choose Alternatives to Styrofoam Food Containers

Many lawmakers have been pushing for laws to ban polystyrene food containers, also known as Styrofoam. Below you’ll find recent news related to the elimination of styrofoam.

Styrofoam is Officially Banned in the City of San Diego

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The City of San Diego's ban on single-use styrofoam products will go into effect April 1st, 2023. The ban includes food containers, utensils, and other items.

California Governor signs nation's most sweeping law to phase out single-use plastics and packaging waste

Striking a blow against a pernicious form of pollution, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Thursday the nation’s most far-reaching restrictions on single-use plastics and packaging.

The legislation heads off a November ballot measure that many lawmakers and the plastics industry hoped to avoid, and it puts California at the forefront of national efforts to eliminate polystyrene and other plastics that litter the environment, degrade into toxic particles and increasingly inhabit human blood, tissue and organs.

Deleware Senate Passes Single-Use Plastic & Styrofoam Ban

The Delaware Senate passed a bill to effectively ban restaurants from offering single-use plastic straws and styrofoam food and beverage containers.

Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 134, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, also prohibits food establishments from providing customers with plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks and sandwich picks.

Under the bill, food establishments would only be permitted to offer single-use plastic straws upon request.

Single-use plastic bag ban in New Jersey

It is the strictest ban on plastics in the country, and it is now in effect for the entire state of New Jersey. The ban on single-use plastic bags went into effect last Wednesday after New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the law 18 months ago.

The ban means most grocery stores in the Garden State will not be allowed to give out single-use plastic or paper bags. Restaurants and convenience stores may provide single-use paper bags to customers, but not plastic. Styrofoam containers, like the ones used for take-out food, are also banned.

Virginia: Virginia assembly approves ban on foam to-go containers by 2023

Virginia state lawmakers gave final approval on a bill that will ban polystyrene food containers, sometimes known better by the brand name Styrofoam. The bill was sponsored by Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond. The ban will be phased in over four years. Larger businesses, with more than 20 locations, will have to stop using foam food containers by July 2023. Smaller businesses will need to comply by July 2025...

New York State Bans Styrofoam! - April 2, 2020

Albany, NY — Today, the NYS Legislature passed a ban on Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Foam, commonly referred to as Styrofoam TM, in the 2020-21 SFY Budget. In response, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), said:

“This shows true leadership and foresight in protecting the environment amid a public health crisis. Environmentalists, municipalities, and New Yorkers have long awaited ending the scourge of Styrofoam across the State. CCE thanks Governor Cuomo and the NYS Legislature for taking action in protecting our environment from harmful and unnecessary Styrofoam containers and loose fill packaging. Styrofoam is one of the top ten contributors to environmental litter and has long-term negative impacts on our waterways and wildlife. Styrofoam doesn’t breakdown, it breaks apart into small pieces eventually becoming microplastic pollution in our waterways...

Carribean: Turks and Caicos Islands Approve Styrofoam Ban - July 15, 2019

Cabinet approved on May 29th 2019 a Ban on Polystyrenes, a policy paper put forward as part of the ongoing going green for 2019 initiatives to clean up our islands, reduce waste and encourage sustainable alternatives. The policy aims to reduce the use and importation of some polystyrene products: cups and plates and will also officially ban the use and importation of plastic straws...

Several states just steps away from banning foam containers - April 24, 2019

DENVER -- Environment America and U.S. PIRG are working in states across the country to pass bans on foam containers, which is among the most harmful forms of single-use plastic. Banning polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, is one of several policies the organizations’ Wildlife Over Waste and Beyond Plastic campaigns are pushing to tackle the plastic pollution crisis. See complete information here...

Foam Ban | City of New York - NYC.gov - January 1, 2019

New York City Foam Ban Information. The City's ban on single-use foam products will go into effect by January 1, 2019. Businesses have until December 31, 2018 to use their existing foam items and find alternatives. Starting January 1, 2019, businesses can no longer sell, distribute, or use single-use foam items. See complete information here...

City slays plastic foam, ending iconic food container’s reign - February 3, 2019

Eateries, food carts forced to find foam alternatives

By Zak Kostro - Plastic foam is quickly becoming a thing of the past, if not already nearly extinct — at least at some law-abiding local eateries. The city’s ban on those single-use plastic clamshell-like containers — long the darling of takeout spots and halal carts — went into effect Jan. 1. Foam cups, plates, bowls, trays and even packing peanuts are now prohibited from possession, sale or use. See article here...

Styrofoam Bans are Sweeping Across the Nation - February 18, 2017

Something amazing is happening around the country: cities and town are starting to ban Styrofoam. Throwaway polystyrene coffee cups, soup bowls, plates, and trays have gotten the boot. So have those foamy clamshell-style cartons fast food comes in. Even packing peanuts are going the way of the dodo. See a list of cities that have completely or partially banned Styrofoam, compiled by Groundswell...

With the Nation’s Toughest Ban, San Fransico Puts the Smackdown on Styrofoam - July 1, 2016

San Francisco residents will soon have to drink their to-go cups of coffee out of something else because those soft Styrofoam cups will be no more. Original article from www.takepart.com by ~Gwendolyn Wu

"I just passed the toughest anti-Styrofoam law in the country, and we did it unanimously," Board of Supervisors President London Breed wrote on her Facebook page after the vote. "This is a huge step for our environment and health. San Francisco is on our way to leading the country on environmental policy—again!" See complete article here...

Appalachian State University Eliminates Styrofoam from Food Services - April 18, 2016

Congratulations to Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., which has eliminated the use of polystyrene foam containers in its campus food service operations. Getting rid of the material—more commonly known by the brand name Stryrofoam—was one of the university's goals as it moves toward zero waste on campus.

• Styrofoam cup alternatives. If you use styrofoam cups and are looking for a Green alternative, consider these Sustainable options Made in USA Cold Cups & Made in USA Hot Cups

New York City to Ban Single-Use Styrofoam Products

"NEW YORK – The de Blasio Administration has announced that as of July 1, 2015, food service establishments, stores, and manufacturers may not possess, sell, or offer for use single service Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam articles or polystyrene loose fill packaging, such as “packing peanuts” in New York City."

"Department of Sanitation Determines Expanded Polystyrene Foam Not Recyclable"

• Perfect disposable cup styrofoam alternatives. If you use styrofoam cups and are looking for a Green alternative time to consider Made in USA Cold Cups & Made in USA Hot Cups

A Zero-Waste Alternative

363 million paper cups are used each day. Every year Americans add 500 million pounds of cups to landfills, just from paper cups. Their cups are lined with petroleum.

During composting, microorganisms from the soil digest organic waste and break it down into its simplest parts. This produces a fiber-rich, carbon-containing materia with mineral nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The microorganisms break the material down through aerobic respiration, and require oxygen from the air. You introduce the required oxygen when you turn the material in the compost bin. The microorganisms also require water to live and multiply. Through the respiration process, the microorganisms give off heat — temperatures within compost piles can rise as high as 100 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (38 to 66 C). In a properly managed compost pile, managed by turning and watering it regularly, the process of decomposing into finished compost can happen in 90 days.