What Can We Do With Styrofoam?

A Reader Writes The Green Guide:

As a college student and a member of the Environmental/Community Service committee here at school, I have been trying to find out facts about Styrofoam, and have been searching for some alternatives, which are hard to find. Our dining hall supplies Styrofoam containers for take-out, but our committees, as well as many other students, are concerned about this. We often hear that Styrofoam is NOT recyclable, but is this a truth or a fallacy? Do you know of any alternatives to Styrofoam food containers that can be used? Paper plates are also made available, but students often times prefer the enclosed boxes, which are larger and sturdier. I'll certainly appreciate any information you can give me! Thank you,

Elizabeth Glass

The Green Guide Responds:

Elizabeth, the bad news is that Styrofoam is not a part of most curbside residential recycling programs, even though it is labeled with the recycling number 6. Styrofoam is made from polystyrene and is extremely bulky and lightweight, which makes it costly to recycle polystyrene in small quantities.

Foam From Home

However, the good news is that Foam from Home, a new recycling program sponsored by International Foam Solutions, Inc. (IFS) will accept Styrofoam products at select schools and businesses. The program uses a Styro Solve System, which reduces 90 percent of polystyrene foam and converts it into Polygel, an environmentally friendly recyclable gel.

Harvey Katz, President of International Foam Solutions and commonly known as "The Foam Man," urges companies and schools to become involved with the Foam from Home program. "Companies or environmental clubs can bring any type of polystyrene product that is marked with the recycling number 6, including everything from egg cartons to packing peanuts, and use our Styro Solve Systems to recycle the polystyrene and then the recyclable gel is shipped back to IFS," Katz says. The Styro Solve System is also available for purchase through IFS. For further information regarding Foam from Home locations and recycling information visit www.internationalfoamsolutions.com or contact IFS at 1-800-856-3626.

Health Hazards

Not only are Styrofoam products hazardous to the environment, they can also be hazardous to your health! When stored or heated, plastic packaging like Styrofoam may leach the possible human carcinogen styrene into foods. Styrene is also suspected of disrupting hormones harming developing bodies. For more information on plastics that leach chemicals, see our Plastics for Kitchen Use product report.

Alternative Products

When choosing alternatives to Styrofoam it is important to look for safe plastics, which are also recyclable in your area. The plastics #1-PETE #2HDPE, #4LDPE, and #5PP are safe, recyclable, and reusable alternatives to styrene products. However, try to avoid #3-PVC, #6-PS, and #7, Polycarbonate, which are hazardous to your health and to the environment. In addition, biodegradable starch-based plastics are safe alternatives and are environment friendly. The safest and greenest choice is to use glass, ceramic and stoneware, because they are recyclable and do not leach chemicals onto food.

Although there are methods of recycling Styrofoam products remember the environmental slogan "Reduce, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and try to use alternative products whenever possible. Green Earth Office Supply offers a range of biodegradable products for use in the kitchen and cafeteria setting, including everything from plates and cutlery to cornstarch trash bags. You won't have to worry about students preferring styrene products because these alternatives are just as large and sturdy as Styrofoam products. For Green Earth Office Supply products, see: store.yahoo.com/greenearthofficesupply/kitsup.html