Flotation options to prevent foam pollution include encapsulated polystyrene foam or a variety of air-filled systems.
Vermont Business Magazine Under Vermont’s 2024 Flood Safety Act, unencapsulated polystyrene foam is prohibited from use for floating structures in Vermont’s waters. To help property owners, businesses, and municipalities understand what the requirement means in practice, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released new guidance.
The prohibition on unencapsulated foam applies to any individual or company that owns, distributes, or sells foam docks, buoys, or other floating structures in Vermont. Floating structures include but are not limited to docks, mooring buoys, anchor buoys, and navigation markers. This prohibition applies to floating structures on all lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
“Unencapsulated polystyrene foam used for flotation can break apart in the water due to wind, waves, sunlight, and heat,” said DEC Commissioner Misty Sinsigalli. “These small pieces of plastic foam spread, polluting our waterways and harming wildlife and people. Once released, microplastics are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to clean up.”
You may use polystyrene foam for flotation if it is encapsulated. That means the foam is covered in a hard outer shell that is durable for at least 10 years and is not in contact with the water. Alternatively, air-based flotation can be used for floating structures, such as air-filled floats.
To properly dispose of unencapsulated foam:
- Bring it to an authorized waste transfer station,
- Bring it to the New England Waste Services of Vermont (NEWSVT) landfill in Coventry, VT, or
- Work with a permitted waste hauler.
Learn more about this prohibition and view the DEC’s guidance.
The Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for protecting Vermont's natural resources and safeguarding human health for the benefit of this and future generations. Visit dec.vermont.gov and follow the Department of Environmental Conservation on Facebook and Instagram.
5.28.2026. Vermont Agency of Natural Resource Website.
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