Restaurants and other food service providers in New York will be banned from using polystyrene foam containers starting in January. The state ban also includes loose fill packaging, known as packing peanuts.
This regulatory change follows a ban already in place in Suffolk County, which prohibits the use of polystyrene foam containers unless it contains meat, eggs or other raw food items.
Regulators said a statewide ban will reduce plastic waste created by some food service providers that serve customers from different local governments. That includes retail food stores, delis, grocery stores, hospitals and schools.
