FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | May 12, 2021
Delaware State Senate Majority Caucus
Contact: Scott Goss (302) 744-4180, or
Dylan McDowell (302) 744-4282
Delaware State Senate Majority Caucus
Contact: Scott Goss (302) 744-4180, or
Dylan McDowell (302) 744-4282
Senator trey paradee introduces bill to reduce polystyrene, single-use plastics at delaware food establishments
DOVER – Legislators in Delaware will soon vote on a bill to limit the use of polystyrene containers and many single-use plastics at food establishments throughout the state.
Senate Bill 134, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee and Rep. Gerald Brady would bar restaurants from serving ready-to-eat food in containers made of polystyrene, a non-biodegradable and potentially carcinogenic petroleum product best known by the brand name Styrofoam. The bill also would prohibit food establishments in Delaware from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by a consumer while banning single-use plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks and sandwich picks.
SB 134 additionally encourages food establishments not to use or sell food packaged outside of the establishment in polystyrene containers.
“We have a responsibility to future generations to reduce the amount of these products entering our environment,” said Sen. Paradee, D-Dover. “These products are harmful to wildlife and are potentially dangerous to human health. Over the past several decades, the low-cost of these products has made them very popular in our society, but, today, many low-cost alternatives exist that are less harmful. As a coastal state with a vibrant tourism industry that is critical to our economy and our quality of life, we must join other states that have already banned these products and set an example for the world to follow."
If enacted into law, SB 134 would mark another major step forward in preventing single-use plastics from ending up in Delaware streams, rivers, forests, beaches and landfills. Sen. Paradee and Rep. Brady passed legislation in 2019 that significantly curtailed the distribution of single-use plastic bags by Delaware grocery stores and other retailers.
"We only have one planet, and our ecosystem is being choked by pollution such as these single-use products," said Rep. Brady, D-Wilmington West. "Everyone who has ordered to-go meals, especially during the past year, knows how quickly these containers can pile up. Multiply that across thousands of households across the state and you realize how serious this issue is, and a lot of these packages wind up on the roadside or in our waterways. Moving away from non-biodegradable food containers is another critical step toward protecting our environment."
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.
According to the World Health Organization, styrene – the building block from which polystyrene is made – is a probable carcinogen. In 2018, the findings of an impartial working group led by the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that the previous label of “possibly carcinogenic” was insufficient and upgraded their warning following a review of human epidemiological studies and animal experiments. When used to serve hot foods and liquids like coffee and soup, styrene and benzene are often released and ingested. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and National Toxicology Program (NTP) listed styrene as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” in 2011.
Polystyrene also is one of the most littered materials in Delaware – one that persists in the environment for thousands of years. Once used in food service, polystyrene can no longer be recycled resulting in tremendous amounts of waste. Over time, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, which are commonly ingested by wildlife and passed into the food chain or water supply.
Between 2008 and 2019, thousands of pieces of polystyrene litter were found along Delaware beaches during annual coastal cleanup events including 2,528 takeout containers, 2,626 cups and plates, and 15,0644 other pieces of polystyrene. A 2018 study of visible litter along Delaware highways found an average of 498 pieces of polystyrene litter per mile.
At least six states and the District of Columbia have all banned polystyrene from use in food service due to its serious health and environmental risks.
In addition to polystyrene, SB 134 also seeks to further reduce single-use plastics in Delaware.
Plastic straws would remain available by customer request – a key compromise with disability advocates who have pointed to the importance of plastic straws for some customers. Single-service plastic coffee stirrers and plastic picks used for sandwiches and cocktails would be banned outright under the legislation.
Senate Bill 134, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee and Rep. Gerald Brady would bar restaurants from serving ready-to-eat food in containers made of polystyrene, a non-biodegradable and potentially carcinogenic petroleum product best known by the brand name Styrofoam. The bill also would prohibit food establishments in Delaware from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by a consumer while banning single-use plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks and sandwich picks.
SB 134 additionally encourages food establishments not to use or sell food packaged outside of the establishment in polystyrene containers.
“We have a responsibility to future generations to reduce the amount of these products entering our environment,” said Sen. Paradee, D-Dover. “These products are harmful to wildlife and are potentially dangerous to human health. Over the past several decades, the low-cost of these products has made them very popular in our society, but, today, many low-cost alternatives exist that are less harmful. As a coastal state with a vibrant tourism industry that is critical to our economy and our quality of life, we must join other states that have already banned these products and set an example for the world to follow."
If enacted into law, SB 134 would mark another major step forward in preventing single-use plastics from ending up in Delaware streams, rivers, forests, beaches and landfills. Sen. Paradee and Rep. Brady passed legislation in 2019 that significantly curtailed the distribution of single-use plastic bags by Delaware grocery stores and other retailers.
"We only have one planet, and our ecosystem is being choked by pollution such as these single-use products," said Rep. Brady, D-Wilmington West. "Everyone who has ordered to-go meals, especially during the past year, knows how quickly these containers can pile up. Multiply that across thousands of households across the state and you realize how serious this issue is, and a lot of these packages wind up on the roadside or in our waterways. Moving away from non-biodegradable food containers is another critical step toward protecting our environment."
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.
According to the World Health Organization, styrene – the building block from which polystyrene is made – is a probable carcinogen. In 2018, the findings of an impartial working group led by the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that the previous label of “possibly carcinogenic” was insufficient and upgraded their warning following a review of human epidemiological studies and animal experiments. When used to serve hot foods and liquids like coffee and soup, styrene and benzene are often released and ingested. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and National Toxicology Program (NTP) listed styrene as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” in 2011.
Polystyrene also is one of the most littered materials in Delaware – one that persists in the environment for thousands of years. Once used in food service, polystyrene can no longer be recycled resulting in tremendous amounts of waste. Over time, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, which are commonly ingested by wildlife and passed into the food chain or water supply.
Between 2008 and 2019, thousands of pieces of polystyrene litter were found along Delaware beaches during annual coastal cleanup events including 2,528 takeout containers, 2,626 cups and plates, and 15,0644 other pieces of polystyrene. A 2018 study of visible litter along Delaware highways found an average of 498 pieces of polystyrene litter per mile.
At least six states and the District of Columbia have all banned polystyrene from use in food service due to its serious health and environmental risks.
In addition to polystyrene, SB 134 also seeks to further reduce single-use plastics in Delaware.
Plastic straws would remain available by customer request – a key compromise with disability advocates who have pointed to the importance of plastic straws for some customers. Single-service plastic coffee stirrers and plastic picks used for sandwiches and cocktails would be banned outright under the legislation.
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Press Contacts
Scott Goss
Communications Director
(302) 744-4180
scott.goss@delaware.gov
Dylan McDowell
Communications Assistant
(302) 744-4282
dylan.mcdowell@delaware.gov
Scott Goss
Communications Director
(302) 744-4180
scott.goss@delaware.gov
Dylan McDowell
Communications Assistant
(302) 744-4282
dylan.mcdowell@delaware.gov