End Styrofoam Use in Campus Dining Facilities

End Styrofoam Use in Campus Dining Facilities.

When ordering a beverage or getting take-out food from a Sodexo facility at Florida A&M University, customers are handed products made from polystyrene, more commonly known as "Styrofoam." Styrofoam-type products take decades to break down in landfills, but the tiny pellets take centuries to biodegrade. These products release harmful chemicals when they get wet, eventually contaminating the water supply. By 1986, styrene was found in 100 percent of all samples of human fat tissue taken as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Human Tissue Survey. Researchers found that polystyrene cups lose weight when in use, meaning that styrene is oozing into the foods and drinks we consume. Styrene then ends up stored in our fatty tissue, where it can build up to levels that can cause fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, blood abnormalities, and even carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects.

Plastic-coated paper products are not an acceptable alternative because these items, too, are not recyclable and take as long as polystyrene to break down. Healthful and environmentally friendly options include reusable containers made from glass, or biodegradable containers made from such things as cornstarch or bamboo. Another alternative is reusable containers customers can have refilled with beverages or food. Many university food services across the country -- including Sodexo -- already provide these options to campus consumers.