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Friday, August 27, 2010

The Death of Styrofoam

For years, we've been told that we need to live with Styrofoam containers because they're so darn good at holding hot foods. Well, some local restaurants are challenging the status quo. Sonoma Grille in downtown Pittsburgh has started using compostable take-out containers. I was pleased to see a little #5 on my opaque and durable plastic container from Il Pizzaiolo in Mt Lebanon last week. Even my corner Chinese food restaurant (the kings of take-out containers) use re-usable #5 plastic containers. (The city of Pittsburgh picks up numbers 1 through 5 at the curb along with many other items.) I applaud these local restaurants for voluntarily reducing Styrofoam use in our area. Other alternatives to Styrofoam? Tinfoil, corn husks, banana leaves, and recycled paper products are all better choices. Honestly, anything is better than Styrofoam which never breaks down. Any other restaurants deserving a high-five for making our region a better place?

Many cities from San Francisco to Seattle have banned Styrofoam products because of their ever-lasting effect on the environment. Even Chicago is considering this bold move. Could Pittsburgh be next? Let your council member and local restaurant know that Styrofoam is no good and help speed along the death of Styrofoam.

1 comment:

Stonycoast said...

GREAT! Refuse styrofoam!
Let's also object to the subsidies that make it cheap - the tax breaks, credits, research grants and loans that keep the cost of oil low. (Styrofoam is made from oil.)
Our elected representatives who vote to keep propping up the oil industry say they are saving jobs,and maybe they are - their own.
The effect however is that clean energy industry cannot compete, so instead of millions of new jobs setting up clean solar, wind, geothermal electric plants all over, we lose market share to other countries, and get poorer as burning fossil fuel overheats the planet and increases intensity of storms, droughts, floods, fires, insect infestation and depression. And we have piles of non- biodegradable garbage.

Millions of citizens lobbying for our right to a healthy planet can overcome this idiocy. Join the voices for change.
Take 15 minutes and send messages to officials every week!!
http://greenpeace.org http://1sky.org

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