Alaska House bill to ban polystyrene food containers moves to Senate

The Alaska Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony Tuesday on House Bill 25, which would ban polystyrene foam food service containers across the state.

Representative Andy Josephson introduced the measure. It passed the Alaska House 25-15 on April 21, with all 15 no votes from Republicans. The bill would make Alaska the 13th state to prohibit the single-use foam containers, with exemptions for food prepared outside Alaska and areas under disaster emergency.

Several Alaska communities including Bethel, Cordova, and Seward already ban polystyrene foam takeout containers. Maryland saw a 65 percent decline in foam waste after implementing a statewide ban in 2020, according to prior legislative documents.

Industry representatives testified against the measure, citing cost increases for alternative materials. Ivy Britton said polystyrene containers are preferred for their durability, insulation properties, and affordability. Lindsay Stovall said alternatives cost 100 to 313 percent more based on government pricing data.

"Alternative food service materials are substantially more expensive than polystyrene, and these costs would likely be passed on to consumers," Stovall said. She cited a Pennsylvania analysis showing alternatives cost 100 to 193 percent more depending on the product.

Environmental advocates countered with pollution and health concerns. Deanie Chapman said her organization tested 39 water sources in south-central Alaska in summer 2023 and found microplastics in 100 percent of samples, including Anchorage tap water.

"Polystyrene is one of the gnarliest of the plastics," Chapman said. "It breaks down into small pieces that are incredibly hard to clean up."

Brittany Robbins, a Wrangell resident and former business owner, said she found the average cost difference between polystyrene and alternatives was approximately 3 cents per item in a March 2025 comparison, with the largest difference being 10 cents for dinner-sized containers.

"Customers want to frequent businesses that care about them, not businesses that care about themselves," Robbins said.

Josephson responded to industry testimony by noting the Department of Corrections did not submit a fiscal note despite industry claims about increased costs. He emphasized that polystyrene cannot be recycled.

"They want us to focus on recycling, but the fact is you cannot recycle polystyrene," Josephson said. "It cannot be done."

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. Senator Scott Kawasaki chairs the State Affairs Committee, which heard the measure Tuesday afternoon in Juneau.