This month in a new political forum hosted by the City of San Jose's City Council, members voiced their concerns about environmental impacts caused by expandable polystyrene food packaging containers. In a move to ban polystyrene fast food containers, the council is considering a ban on polystyrene issued to consumers by fast food industries.
Dr. Fritz Yambrach of the packaging department at San Jose State University joins in the effort to help people understand the difference about packaging materials and how they affect our every day lives.
Despite best efforts by the San Jose City Council, "the bottom line is industry pollutes more than people on a large scale," Yambrach said.
Reducing packaging for the end sale may be a good idea. But the idea of a pay as you go system only stiffens consumers at the end of the line as retailers and fast food restaurants cry a fowl with increased costs due to the change in packaging materials.
Polystyrene is best known to consumers as foam inserts protecting high end televisions, printers, microwaves and other electronics. The problem is "Styrofoam is the best shock absorbing material," Yambrach said. "Packaging is temporary by definition."
With a new ban on the horizon, retail packaging that is recyclable will hit its mark in the open commodities market driving up new demand for environmental friendly products, while increasing price.
Despite bickering going on behind the scenes, "fast food packaging is really temporary, Yambrach said. "There is nothing wrong with using a simple paper wrap."
With the expected increase in packaging comes along with it an expected increased cost to the consumer. "Consumers drive sales," Yambrach said. "We need to change the way decisions are made at the curb, by engaging the public in recycling, composting and proper disposal."
Styrofoam and Polystyrene Foam containers are often found dumped along streets and roadways from local delis, restaurants and fast food joints. But should we really be concerned about EPS getting into the environment? After all doesn't street sweeping occur twice a month on most city streets?
The problem is that once polystyrene enterers into the natural environment it starts to break down, producing tiny pellets once networked along ridges and cuffs holding the container together. These pellets eventualy pollute city storm drains, creeks, sidewalks and streets.
The City of San Jose in order to avoid fines by the Federal Governement is seeking ways in which to help clean up their water ways. One way to consider clean up is by providing a sludge rack systems at the end of the some 300 main outletes flowing into the Guadalupe and Coyote Creek river systems.
Despite technological upgrades, once these tiny pellets are let loose into the environment, they flow into storm drains and eventually spread out into the San Francisco bay.
EPS can be very hazardous to wildlife thinking these tiny white pellets are food, causing harm to the animals that ingest them.
Legislative issues may be in Sacramento may be bringing forward state wide bans. But until then waste items will continue to pollute our environment, fill up our landfills with hazardous packaging waste, and EPS containers from fast food restaurants at ever increasing rates. The use of polystyrene materials should be handled at the packaging level, and banned at the local level.
"In turn how much energy does recycling these materials cost," Yambrach said. "We need to engage people to be better in their behavior by reducing waste, and teaching others to recycle."
