Another brilliant idea from our friends up north. Now we just need to start similar campaigns in our own backyards.Get It To Go Green is a campaign to urge Toronto's restaurants and cafes to use sustainable take-out containers made of corn, potato, and sugar-cane. Incentives to switch to "green" take-out containers are even being offered to businesses.
Styrofoam, which is petroleum based, is one of the worst things for the environment. Not only is it made from a non-renewable resource, it also contains the toxic substances Benzene and Styrene. Studies have shown that food and drinks contained in Styrofoam absorb these toxins. YUK!
In addition to the harmful affects to humans, Styrofoam is nearly indestructible. You may use a Styrofoam container for only a few minutes, but it can take several decades or even hundreds of years for Styrofoam to breakdown in the environment or in a landfill. And even after it breakdowns from its original form, it still won't fully biodegrade. It simply forms smaller pellets that will be around for thousands of years.
According to their website, similar efforts to ban Styrofoam have been successful in towns in California, Oregon, New York, Maine, and Alaska. Some towns banned Styrofoam way back in 1990!
Okay, so now what can you do? The first thing is to check out their website at http://www.naturopack.org/getittogogreenmain.html. There is lots of great information about the campaign, Styrofoam, and green containers. The second thing to do is spread the word. Tell people about the harmful effects of Styrofoam. The third thing is - okay, the list goes on and on. Just check out the site and take some action to protect our precious Earth.
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