In an effort to reduce the amount of polystyrene entering the environment, Virginia passed a law requiring restaurants to phase out all polystyrene (otherwise known as Styrofoam). After some back and forth in the General Assembly, the phase-out is set to begin on July 1, 2025 for restaurants with more than 20 locations and July 1, 2026 for restaurants with less than 20 locations, many being small, locally owned businesses. Clean Virginia Waterways is working with many Virginia organizations to assure that this phase-out goes smoothly for both restaurant owners and staff as well as consumers.

The problems with EPS, foam, expanded polystyrene, aka styrofoam:
EPS foam is often found littering beaches, roadways and waterways. As it is exposed to the elements, foam begins to break up into smaller and small pieces becoming microplastics which are nearly impossible to clean-up. During the 2024 International Coastal Cleanup, Virginians reported more than 15,000 pieces of foam during cleanups.

While there is much to learn about the health impacts of polystyrene on humans and animals, there is evidence that “EPS poses numerous risks to human health at every stage of its life cycle: from origin, throughout manufacturing and treatment processes, in its use applications, and disposal.” https://www.litterfreeva.org/eps#health