Going Green
What is Styrofoam, anyway?
-
Styrofoam is actually the trade name of a polystyrene, which is a petroleum-based plastic. Polystyrene is a light-weight material, about 95% air, with very good insulation properties and is used in all types of products from cups that keep your beverages hot or cold to packaging material that keep your computers safe during shipping.
| Polystyrene Food Containers and Related Applications | Non-Food Applications of Polystyrene |
| • coffee cups • soup bowls and salad boxes • foam egg cartons; produce & meat trays • disposable utensils |
• packing "peanuts" • foam inserts that cushion new appliances and electronics • television and computer cabinets • compact disc "jewel boxes" and audiocassette cases |
- Over 20 US cities have banned polystyrene food packaging
Reasons Why Polystyrene Foam is Bad for You
- Toxic chemicals leach out of these products into the food that they contain (especially when heated in a microwave). These chemicals threaten human health and reproductive systems.
- The migration of styrene from a polystyrene cup into the beverage it contains has been observed to be as high as 0.025% for a single use. That may seem like a rather low number, until you work it this way: If you drink beverages from polystyrene cups four times a day for three years, you may have consumed about one foam cup's worth of styrene along with your beverages. Mmm.... chem-i-callyyyy..
Reasons Why Polystyrene Foam is Bad for the Environment
- These products are made with petroleum, a non-sustainable, high-polluting and disappearing commodity.
- The product does not biodegrade. It crumbles into fragments that have no expiration date.
- A certain percentage of product will be dumped in the environment, persisting on land indefinitely as litter and breaking up into pieces that choke and clog animal digestive systems in waterways.
- The product takes up more space in landfills than paper and eventually will re-enter the environment when landfills are breached by water or mechanical forces.
- Polystyrene is not easily recycled because of its light weight (especially if foamed) and its low scrap value.
- Since the foamed kinds not only float on water, but also blow in the wind, it is often abundant in the outdoor environment, particularly along shores and waterways.
- When burned without enough oxygen or at lower temperatures (as in a campfire or a household fireplace), polystyrene can produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon black, and carbon monoxide, as well as styrene monomers
What Does the Green Team Propose to Do About It?
On average, the cafeteria uses over 100 pieces DAILY of polystyrene containers for take-away products. Imagine how quickly a land fill could pile up simply from our use alone. Therefore, in collaboration with Hagar, the Green Team is starting on a long term plan which will hopefully phase out (or at least drastically reduce) polystyrene usage at the embassy. Here’s how it works:
- Bring your own! Although you will still have the option of using polystyrene containers, the cafeteria will use any plates, bowls, or containers which you bring to them for your food.
- Borrow from the pantry! Plates, utensils and bowls have been pre-positioned at the three pantries (NEC 2nd floor and USAID areas) which people can use. Grab a plate or bowl and bring it down to the cafeteria for your take-away. Make sure to wash and return to the pantry for next use.
Please note than when using your own tableware or that from the pantry, the sizes will differ and your food portions may not look the same as they did in the polystyrene containers. Hagar has strict portion controls that are measured and even weighed, so rest assured you will get the same amount of food no matter what type of take-away container you use.
Stay tuned – we will give periodic updates of progress made in reducing polystyrene usage. And as always, if you have additional ideas, suggestions or questions, feel free to share them us: PHPGreenTeam@state.gov.
