Glenview Lawmakers Applaud Styrofoam Ban, Single-Use Plastic Reporting

GLENVIEW, IL — Starting in 2025, state agencies and universities will no longer able to use styrofoam and will need to report on how much single-use plastic foodware they are using. The Degradable Plastic Act, SB 58, championed by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview), was signed into law Friday.

The act, meant to prioritize sustainability by banning the use of polystyrene or styrofoam, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

"By finding environmentally friendly alternatives to styrofoam, this new law allows the state government to lead the way in protecting our environment," Fine said in a news release. "Because it is so lightweight and easily breaks apart into smaller pieces, styrofoam tends to drift away. Since it is used so much in disposable packaging, polystyrene is one of the largest causes of global pollution."

Fine and Gong-Gershowitz initiated the new law.

In addition, the law will require state agencies to track their own purchases of single-use plastic foodware for one year. The intention is to help reduce the use of the foodware and the findings will be submitted to the governor and the General Assembly. According to the news release, the report will inform lawmakers about the current status of single-use plastic foodware consumption from state agencies, how effective their efforts to reduce consumption were, and the best plans moving forward to reduce their consumption.

"For years, non-biodegrade pollutants like polystyrene have piled up in landfills, clogged bodies of water and left unsightly imprints on cities and towns across America. Banning these pollutants will prevent that contamination from spreading further," Gong-Gershowitz said. "There is a lot more progress to make, but Illinois is committed to a greener future. Today, we are taking a major step to crack down on this enduring threat to our environment."