NEW YORK—Environmental and health concerns over Styrofoam use came to light On Monday, as Council Member Bill de Blasio urged the Department of Education, the Department of Sanitation and the Mayor’s Task Force on Sustainability to join forces in the effort to reduce the number of Styrofoam trays used in school cafeterias across New York City.
The proposal calls for using reusable washable trays in schools with dish washing facilities, or using biodegradable trays in other locations. The initiative also urges students to avoid using trays when not necessary, with the aim of reducing associated cost and waste.
The initiation of Styrofoam products in school cafeterias in 1990 resulted in approximately 850,000 Styrofoam trays being used and discarded at New York City schools on a daily basis, which adds up to over 153 million trays per school year.
“It is mind-boggling that our city is still using Styrofoam when we know it is extremely harmful to our environment and could be endangering our children’s health as well,” commented Councilmember Bill de Blasio. “We can eliminate the use of Styrofoam in our schools by actively encouraging students to reduce the use of trays, re-using plastic trays in schools where facilities are available to wash dishes and replacing Styrofoam trays with affordable biodegradable and recyclable alternatives,” he further noted.
Styrofoam, also known as expanded polystyrene (EPS), is not biodegradable and resists compacting, thereby taking up extra landfill space for long periods of time and generating concerns from environmentalists worldwide. While recycling methods for EPS have been developed, recycling agencies for this compound are not widely available.
The use of Styrofoam has also been questioned for possible health risks. Styrene, a key component of polystyrene, has been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Public School 154, located in Brooklyn, was the first school in New York City to switch to bio-degradable trays in 2008. They currently use trays that are made from bagasse—a natural, non-toxic and biodegradable material that comes from discarded sugar cane stalks.
“It is time for Department of Education, the Department of Sanitation and the Mayor’s Task Force on Sustainability to work together on solving this 18-year-old environmental and health fiasco. We must find creative long-term solutions, as well as educate our children about responsible environmental and health practices,” stated Debby Lee Cohen, co-founder of Styrofoam Out of Schools.
Council Member Bill de Blasio has also introduced legislation “Intro 609,” which calls to stop the use of Styrofoam in New York City’s agencies and restaurants. San Francisco is among several other cities that have passed similar legislation.
The proposal calls for using reusable washable trays in schools with dish washing facilities, or using biodegradable trays in other locations. The initiative also urges students to avoid using trays when not necessary, with the aim of reducing associated cost and waste.
The initiation of Styrofoam products in school cafeterias in 1990 resulted in approximately 850,000 Styrofoam trays being used and discarded at New York City schools on a daily basis, which adds up to over 153 million trays per school year.
“It is mind-boggling that our city is still using Styrofoam when we know it is extremely harmful to our environment and could be endangering our children’s health as well,” commented Councilmember Bill de Blasio. “We can eliminate the use of Styrofoam in our schools by actively encouraging students to reduce the use of trays, re-using plastic trays in schools where facilities are available to wash dishes and replacing Styrofoam trays with affordable biodegradable and recyclable alternatives,” he further noted.
Styrofoam, also known as expanded polystyrene (EPS), is not biodegradable and resists compacting, thereby taking up extra landfill space for long periods of time and generating concerns from environmentalists worldwide. While recycling methods for EPS have been developed, recycling agencies for this compound are not widely available.
The use of Styrofoam has also been questioned for possible health risks. Styrene, a key component of polystyrene, has been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Public School 154, located in Brooklyn, was the first school in New York City to switch to bio-degradable trays in 2008. They currently use trays that are made from bagasse—a natural, non-toxic and biodegradable material that comes from discarded sugar cane stalks.
“It is time for Department of Education, the Department of Sanitation and the Mayor’s Task Force on Sustainability to work together on solving this 18-year-old environmental and health fiasco. We must find creative long-term solutions, as well as educate our children about responsible environmental and health practices,” stated Debby Lee Cohen, co-founder of Styrofoam Out of Schools.
Council Member Bill de Blasio has also introduced legislation “Intro 609,” which calls to stop the use of Styrofoam in New York City’s agencies and restaurants. San Francisco is among several other cities that have passed similar legislation.
