Ban Foam in East Hampton, NY

The Eastern Long Island Chapter is supporting a ban on expanded polystyrene foam or EPS foam in East Hampton, NY for food service establishments. The chapter has meticulously collected and categorized trash found in beach cleanups in 2017 and 2018 with eighteen cleanups happening in 2018 alone. Foamed plastic, sometimes called by a trade name, Styrofoam, is a common item found in beach cleanups everywhere.  

A local named Scott Bluedorn started a Change.org petition to ban foamed plastic in town back in 2016 which the chapter supported. The chapter has a long-term relationship with Town Councilwoman Sylvia Overby who put forth this local ordinance. To raise awareness about plastic pollution, the chapter holds dozens of beach cleanups per year and is actively involved in educating the community about the impacts of plastic pollution on the marine environment. In 2018 and 2019, Surfrider ELI was featured in local St. Patricks Day parades with a float made almost entirely of marine debris. 

East Hampton Town Voted to Prohibit the use of Expanded Polystyrene Foam on January 17th, 2019 and will be effective on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2019.

RES-2019-169 ” § 83-3. Restriction on Polystyrene Items: 

A.              “No food service establishment or store shall possess, sell, or offer for use single service articles that consist of expanded polystyrene including, but not limited to, providing food in single service articles that consist of expanded polystyrene.  This subdivision shall not apply to (i) expanded polystyrene containers used for prepackaged food that have been filled and sealed prior to receipt by the food service establishment or store; (ii) expanded polystyrene containers used to store raw meat, pork, fish, seafood or poultry sold from a butcher case or similar retail appliance; or (iii) expanded polystyrene containers used for wholesale fish or seafood shipments outside of the Town of East Hampton.

B.              No manufacturer or store shall sell or offer for sale polystyrene loose fill packaging or polystyrene coolers in the Town of East Hampton.”