From WHYY: Styrofoam finally off the menu at Delaware eateries, 2 years after ban passed

Plates, bowls, cups and other packaging made of the white spongy-ish product also known as plastic foam were banned in Delaware by lawmakers in 2023. The bill didn’t take effect until July 1 of this year, however, as food establishments were given time to use their inventories and prepare for Styrofoam-free operations.

Violations can bring civil fines of $100 to $1,000, but that enforcement provision won’t take effect until July 2026.

Styrofoam has been ubiquitous for decades in the food industry and for packing other products — like that last television you bought — but has long been maligned by environmentalists.

The law also forbids eateries from automatically providing plastic beverage stirrers, cocktail picks or sandwich picks. Serving plastic straws with beverages is also outlawed, but restaurants must provide one without question should a customer request one.

The Delaware ban overcame objections from numerous groups.

Carrie Leishman, president and CEO of the Delaware Restaurant Association, said the bill makes it harder for smaller and ethnic restaurants, as well as food trucks, to make ends meet, because alternative packaging such as aluminum is more expensive than Styrofoam. 

However, Courtney Howie, service manager at LongHorn Steakhouse on Concord Pike, said she supports the prohibition and her establishment has never used Styrofoam packaging.

“It’s better for the environment, better for nature, more consumer friendly,’’ she said. “People are more conscious about the kind of by-products that the containers have and what happens when you consume things that are stored or kept in those containers.”