Polystyrene
Frustrated with the increasing amount of unrecyclable food packaging waste in our marine environment, streets, storm drains and landfills, local governments across the nation are prohibiting the use of unrecyclable plastics such as foamed polystyrene in takeout disposable food packaging. These plastics, impractical to recycle due to their light weight, are the most common form of marine debris and cost local governments millions in storm drain clean up costs. These costs are especially high for communities with impaired waterways, such as the LA River (pictured above).
Foamed polystyrene is one of our country's most ubiquitous examples of over-processed, overabundant, and unnecessary throw-away packaging, and also one of the most costly. Learn more about what you can do to stop the stream of polystyrene waste into our communities, and about its abundant, economical, and recyclable alternatives.
Polystyrene food packaging is a serious and readily preventable source of marine debris pollution. Polystyrene food packaging is lightweight and areodynamic, so it is easily blown into gutters and storm drains even when "properly" disposed of. Polystyrene is also very brittle, so when littered it quickly breaks into small pieces, making cleanup impossible.
2.6 million tons of polystyrene are produced in the United States, California alone, including an estimated 1 million tons of food service packaging! That's 1 million tons of over-processed plastics designed to head straight to the landfill after a use time of a minute or less, the time it takes you to drink your coffee and toss the cup.
Once in the marine environment, polystyrene kills marine wildlife because it mimics food but causes starvation or choking if ingested. Polystyrene food packaging contributes disproportionally to oceanic plastic pollution. Over 80% of this plastic pollution comes from urban litter.
Almost no polystyrene food packaging is recycled anywhere in the country, although the plastics industry has attempted to recycle polystyrene transport packaging (at a cost of thousands of dollars per ton). Most curbside recycling programs in the US do not accept any polystyrene plastic resin because it contaminates recycling and is too easily accidentally littered in transportation.
Polystyrene food packaging is extremely costly to local governments, some of whom are required by law to achieve "zero" trash litter in impaired waterways. Litter clean-up costs billions, and yet is still ineffective. Polystyrene litter must be stopped at its source.
