New York Says Goodbye To Foam Coolers In 2026, They Are Banned

Very soon New Yorkers will no longer be allowed to purchase foam coolers, they have been banned.

We are talking about those disposable food service containers, containers used for cold storage and more will no longer be available for sale. That also means the end of those inexpensive white foam coolers you can find in your local grocery store. So, what's with the ban?

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According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), effective January 1, 2026, no covered food service provider, manufacturer or store is allowed to sell, offer for sale, or distribute expanded polystyrene containers that are not wholly encapsulated or encased within a more durable container and are designed or intended to be used for cold storage, including but not limited to coolers and ice chests.

Any alternative may be used. DEC encourages the use of reusable, recyclable, and compostable items, source reduction and items made using recycled content where possible.

Next month's ban will affect food service establishments, caterers, temporary food service establishments, mobile food service establishments and pushcarts, to name a few.

Delis, grocery stores, restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops, hospitals, adult care facilities, and nursing homes along with elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities will also be affected.

This specific ban is new to New Yorkers but we have been headed this way for quite a while. In 2020, New York State adopted the nation's strongest state ban of expanded polystyrene, single-use foam food and beverage containers, as well as those packing peanuts.