The California Department of Resources and Recycling (CalRecycle)
announced on April 4, 2025, that food service ware made from
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) – commonly known by the brand name
Styrofoam™ – can no longer be sold, distributed, or imported in
the state. This decision is part of
SB 54 (Allen), California’s landmark Plastic Pollution
Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, passed in
2022, which aims to drastically reduce single-use packaging waste
and hold producers accountable.
The ban includes common single-use items such as takeout
containers and disposable cups. Despite
unique delays in the adoption of the SB 54 regulations, the
law set a firm deadline: all EPS-covered material was required to
meet a 25% recycling rate by January 1, 2025. Since national EPS
recycling rates were estimated to be nearly 1% in 2018, according
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many
stakeholders have referred to this provision as a “de facto ban.”
EPS is notoriously difficult to recycle. It tends to become
brittle and break down into microplastics, making it a major
contributor to plastic pollution. In response, more than a dozen
counties across California have already implemented local
ordinances restricting EPS food service ware.
If you have any questions, please contact Jordan Wells, CSAC
Legislative Advocate, at jwells@counties.org.
