Pennsylvania has no statewide ban on expanded polystyrene foam food containers, and after Act 87 of 2024 ended single-use plastic preemption local governments may regulate foam packaging.
Pennsylvania has not adopted a statewide prohibition on expanded polystyrene foam (commonly called Styrofoam) food service containers, coolers, or packing materials. During the 2020 to 2024 single-use plastic preemption window, municipalities were limited in restricting many plastic items including foam. With Act 87 of 2024 allowing that preemption to lapse, cities and townships may now consider polystyrene bans or restrictions on food vendors. As of early 2026, Philadelphia's polystyrene container ban applies to food-service businesses, and other Pennsylvania municipalities are evaluating similar measures. State agencies and contractors must follow procurement rules but no statewide consumer ban exists.
Local foam container ordinances are enforced by municipal code enforcement with fines per the local code; no state penalty applies.
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem Zoning § 1322(yy)(4) expressly refers pool fencing to the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, which adopts the 2018 International Swimming Pool...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem Zoning Code Article 1318 does not impose a separate list of prohibited fence materials, leaving fence-material regulation to general property-maint...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem's zoning code does not require neighbor consent for a boundary fence under Article 1318, but Pennsylvania common-law partition-fence principles and...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem requires a zoning permit from the Bureau of Code Enforcement for any fence installation as part of general zoning compliance under Article 1318 (he...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem caps household animals at six without a permit: Section 1159.04 of Article 1159 (Animals) requires application for a permit for any household keepi...
Bethlehem, PA
Bethlehem's local wildlife-feeding enforcement runs through Article 1159 nuisance provisions (Section 1159.06) of the Codified Ordinances and property-mainte...
See how Bethlehem's polystyrene foam rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.