Good news on the plastics front—California now has a dedicated webpage where the public can report violations of the statewide expanded polystyrene foam (EPS aka styrofoam) foodware ban.
Since January 1, 2025, polystyrene foam foodware has been illegal in California, thanks to SB 54 (Allen, 2022). The law aims to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic packaging and foodware. To continue selling foam products in the state, producers were required to demonstrate a 25% recycling rate statewide by January 1, 2025.
Unsurprisingly, they did not meet this target. Recycling rates for foam foodware remain dismally low because it’s difficult to recycle and holds little market value. Therefore, it’s not accepted in most - if not all - curbside recycling programs.
It’s important to understand that enforcement of the foam ban targets producers—not restaurants or other vendors using foam products. Essentially, SB 54 aims to hold producers accountable for wasteful products, rather than punishing businesses or consumers. When reporting violations to CalRecycle, please try to identify the brand name of the EPS foam service ware.
In the example above, the producer would be First Street aka Smart & Final
A core goal of SB 54 is to shift responsibility for single-use plastics from consumers to producers—a concept known as “extended producer responsibility” (EPR). EPR is crucial because, until now, producers have manufactured single-use plastics with minimal accountability for their environmental impacts while reaping profits. This externalizes costs onto communities and ecosystems, including our oceans, which are flooded with plastic pollution.
Thanks to SB 54, California’s producers of foam and other single-use plastics will now face some accountability to address these environmental harms.
In addition to the statewide foam ban, over 100 California cities already have local foam regulations. Many of these cities offer options for reporting violations, often prioritizing education over immediate fines. CalRecycle, which enforces SB 54, has also committed to an education-first approach, providing guidance before issuing penalties.
For more details on SB 54, visit CalRecycle’s info page or check out our summary at our California & Local Plastic Reduction Laws webpage.
A summary of what SB 54 requires the state to implement by 2032