Congress Reintroduces Bill to Phase Out Single-Use Plastic Foam
Building on the momentum of 12 states and hundreds of cities, Oceana says Congressional action is long overdue
Press Release Date: March 6, 2025
Location: Washington, D.C.
Contact:
Ariana Miller, Megan Jordan | email: amiller@oceana.org, mjordan@oceana.org | tel: Ariana Miller, 202.868.4061
Today, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Md., and Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Tex., along with over 70 cosponsors, reintroduced the “Farewell to Foam Act,” which would prohibit the sale and distribution of plastic foam food containers, loose fill foam packaging like packing peanuts, and single-use foam coolers across the country. According to a national poll of U.S. registered voters, conducted for Oceana by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos, 78% of U.S. voters support national policies that reduce single-use plastic foam.
“Plastic foam isn’t just polluting our beaches – it’s making its way into marine wildlife like sea turtles and even our own bodies,” said Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s U.S. Plastics Campaign Director. “This problematic plastic harms public health during its production and use while fueling the climate crisis and polluting the air and waterways. Oceana applauds Senator Van Hollen and Representative Doggett for leading the way to phase out single-use plastic foam, an unnecessary, virtually unrecyclable product that hurts our oceans and health. Now it is time for Congress to wave ‘farewell to foam’ across the country.”
Policies to reduce plastic foam products are becoming more common at the state and local levels around the United States and in countries around the world. To date, 12 states have passed laws to reduce plastic foam, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. More than 250 cities and counties have also passed restrictions on plastic foam.
Plastic foam, formally known as expanded polystyrene, is manufactured from fossil fuels and is frequently used for disposable takeout food containers and packaging materials, like packing peanuts and clamshell food containers. Often thrown away after a single use, plastic foam breaks up into smaller pieces that are difficult to clean up and disperse easily, polluting the environment for years. One of the most common plastics found fouling our beaches and waterways, plastic foam can also harm ocean wildlife, since sea turtles, seabirds, and other ocean animals often mistake plastic foam for food. Styrene, the chemical building block of plastic foam, is considered a probable carcinogen, meaning it likely causes cancer. It has been found to leach out of plastic foam food containers, posing a threat to human health.
Background
Plastic has been found in every corner of the world and has turned up in drinking water, beer, salt, honey, and more. It’s been found in the air we breathe and the water we drink and it’s even showing up in our bodies, including blood, lungs, heart, and breast milk. Plastic poses environmental and public health threats at every stage from extraction and production to use and disposal. It’s also one of the greatest contributors to climate change. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increased amounts of plastic can be expected to flood our blue planet with devastating consequences.
A 2020 Oceana report revealed evidence of nearly 1,800 animals from 40 different species swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic in U.S. waters between 2009 and early 2020. Of those animals, a staggering 88% were from species listed as endangered or threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act.
Less than 6% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled, yet the plastics industry continues to tout recycling as a panacea while pushing new plastic products onto the market. Companies need to dramatically reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic, provide plastic-free choices, and develop systems that refill and reuse packaging and foodware. Elected officials must enact policies to ensure they do so.
In February 2025, Oceana released the results of a new nationwide poll revealing that an overwhelming majority of U.S. voters support policies that reduce single-use plastics. Overall, 81% of U.S. voters support reducing the amount of plastic that is produced. The national online poll, conducted for Oceana by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®, surveyed 1,111 registered U.S. voters from December 13 to 15, 2024. Included among the key findings:
- 80% of U.S. voters support state and local policies that reduce single-use plastic foam.
- 78% of U.S. voters support national policies that reduce single-use plastic foam.
- 85% of U.S. voters support increasing the use of reusable packaging and foodware.
- 80% of U.S. voters support requiring companies to reduce single-use plastic packaging and foodware.
To learn more about Oceana’s campaign to stop plastic pollution, please visit usa.oceana.org/plastics.
