Governor Signs Foam Ban into Law

Illinois Senate Bill 58, which we’ve informally referred to as the “Foam Ban” but is officially called the State Entities Single-Use Plastic Reporting Act, was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on August 4.

The new law bans the purchasing and distribution of polystyrene foam foodware in all state facilities and agencies. It will go into effect on January 1, 2025 for state agencies and January 1, 2026 for vendors. 

The new law also requires state agencies to track and implement goals to reduce single-use plastic disposable foodware beginning in July 2024. Single-use or throwaway plastics are only used one time before being discarded or recycled. Plastic containers, straws, coffee stirrers, soft drinks and water bottles, and the majority of food packaging are examples of these goods. 

Our League members worked alongside the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) and Coalition for Plastic Reduction (CPR) to fight for this new law, attending meetings and even making a trip to Springfield last spring to lobby our legislators in person. We also released frequent action alerts encouraging members to contact their state legislators and push for this action. 

Thank you to everyone who helped Illinois take this important step to protect human and environmental health! This includes all our IEC and CPR coalition partners. We also thank Senator Laura Fine and Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, original sponsors of the bill; Governor Pritzker, who signed it into law; and countless more individuals and community groups who supported the bill with Witness Slips and other actions.