Polystyrene foam is one of the worst forms of plastic pollution. It's time that we ban it for good. Tell your U.S. senators to support the Farewell to Foam Act. TAKE ACTION:
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John,
This plastic polluter is destined to outlive us all.
Long after we're gone, flimsy fragments of polystyrene foam coffee cups will drift around the world -- blowing out of landfills, floating through rivers and into oceans.[1] Nothing we use for a moment's convenience should pollute our environment for centuries to come.
Polystyrene foam is one of the worst forms of plastic pollution. It's time that we ban it for good. Tell your U.S. senators to support the Farewell to Foam Act.
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Chances are, you won't remember that hot cup of coffee a month from now. But our communities will have to tolerate the flimsy take-out containers and crumbly foam coffee cups that we've left behind for centuries to come -- blowing in the wind, polluting our parks and clogging our landfills.
The recently introduced Farewell to Foam Act would phase out single-use foam service products nationwide come 2026.[2] Thanks to your help, our national network has already banned this long-term polluter in 11 states.
In 2019, Maine became the first state to pass a ban on polystyrene foam containers.[3] This past year, Delaware became the 11th state to pass a law reducing plastic foam.[4] Now it's time we create a more sustainable future for our entire country by bidding farewell to plastic foam.
Tell your U.S. senators: Help turn the tide on plastic pollution by supporting the Farewell to Foam Act.
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This nasty plastic will persist in our environment beyond our lifetimes -- and we're producing more than 3 million tons of it every year.[5] We're leaving behind a reckless legacy, one that will harm our natural ecosystems, wildlife and public health for generations to come.[6]
Just how bad is polystyrene foam?
* Even when corralled in a landfill, it still isn't safe -- polystyrene foam can leach toxic chemicals into the surrounding environment.[7]
* Polystyrene takes hundreds of years to decompose -- if it decomposes at all -- and when it does, it merely breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. These tiny plastic fragments get everywhere. Wildlife like seabirds eat these pieces or feed them to their young -- filling their bellies with plastic.[8]
* Only 1.3% of all polystyrene products were recycled in 2015. The rest ends up piling up in our landfills or blowing into our parks and waterways.[9]
There's no way around it: foam plastic is polluting our communities and planet. We need to stop piling single-use polystyrene foam into our landfills.
Supporters like you have helped convince 11 states to pass legislation banning single-use foam containers.[10] Let's keep that momentum going and expand this ban to reach the entire nation.
Will you stand with us and call on your U.S. senators to take the next step toward a zero-waste future?
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Thank you,
Faye Park
President
1. Celeste Meiffren-Swango, "The problem with polystyrene foam," Environment Oregon, June 22, 2022.
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2. Maria Rachal, "Lawmakers seek a national foam ban in 2026," Packaging Dive, December 12, 2023.
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3. Maria Rachal, "Lawmakers seek a national foam ban in 2026," Packaging Dive, December 12, 2023.
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4. Krys'tal Griffin, "New law will ban polystyrene, some single-use plastics from Delaware restaurants," Delaware Online, August 23, 2023.
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5. Alex Truelove, "States Have a Chance to Throw Out Polystyrene Foam in 2018," U.S. PIRG, May 2, 2018.
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6. "Impacts and Risks of Polystyrene," World Centric, December 1, 2019.
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7. Steph Coelho, "Why styrofoam is so hard to recycle and what you can do about it," Business Insider, January 21, 2022.
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8. Natasha Daly, "Why do ocean animals eat plastic?," National Geographic, December 5, 2019.
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9. "Impacts and Risks of Polystyrene," World Centric, December 1, 2019.
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10. "Reducing plastic waste in the states," U.S. PIRG, July 26, 2022.
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