Sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, Senate Bill 57 would bar restaurants from serving ready-to-eat food in containers made from polystyrene, a non-biodegradable and potentially carcinogenic petroleum product best known by the brand name Styrofoam, starting on July 1, 2025.
The bill would further prohibit food establishments in Delaware from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by a consumer, while also banning single-use plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks and sandwich picks.
“I want to thank my Senate colleagues for voting today to continue our work to reduce the harmful products in the marketplace and our environment,” said Sen. Paradee, D-Dover. “While the low cost of the products have made them pervasive in our daily lives, we now know they are harmful to wildlife and are potentially dangerous to human health. As a coastal state with a vibrant tourism industry that is critical to our economy and our quality of life, reducing plastic waste is particularly important for Delaware."
If passed by the Delaware House and signed by Governor John Carney, Senate Bill 57 would mark another important step forward in Delaware’s recent efforts to prevent single-use plastics from ending up in streams, rivers, forests, beaches, and landfills. The Delaware General Assembly passed legislation in both 2019 and 2021 that significantly curtailed the distribution of single-use plastic bags by Delaware grocery stores and other retailers.
“I am pleased that Senator Paradee led the successful effort for Senate passage, and I look forward to championing this bill through the House,” said Rep. Paul Baumbach, D-Newark, the House prime sponsor of Senate Bill 51.
Polystyrene presents significant risks to the health of consumers and the environment during its creation, use and disposal.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has long listed the polystyrene manufacturing process among the largest producers of hazardous waste and a major source of ground-level ozone, a common contributor to poor air quality and a higher incidence of asthma.
