Updated on January 14, 2021 at 1:49 pm Getty Images A new year means new laws. Read on for some of the changes in the D.C. area beginning in January 2021. New Laws in Washington, DC Expanded Foam Packaging Ban: More goods made of expanded polystyrene can’t be sold in the District. Starting Jan. 1, retailers in D.C. can no longer sell coolers, ice chests, packing peanuts or food in packaging made from expanded polystyrene. (Editor's Note: A previous version of this article referred to this substance as Styrofoam, which is not made from expanded polystyrene.) Estate Tax Exemption Decrease: More people will have to pay higher estate taxes when the exempt amount is lowered from about $5.7 million to $4 million. The new figures apply to the estate of anyone who dies on or after Jan. 1, 2021. The law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney says D.C. changed the law to make up for a budget shortfall caused by the pandemic.