The petition
We, the students of Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California, and our surrounding neighbors, wish to limit the use of polystyrene at our school and throughout our community.
What we commonly call styrofoam, is actually the most recognizable form of foam polystyrene packaging. Styrofoam ® is a Dow Chemical Co. trademarked form of polystyrene foam insulation. It was introduced in the U.S. in 1954. Styrofoam® is a trademarked name, the real name of the product is foamed polystyrene. Polystyrene is a widely used product, most commonly used for packaging. All of the negative effects of polystyrene are unknown to most.
The following are reasons why polystyrene is bad for the environment and human health:
1. Toxic chemicals seep out of these products into the food that they contain. These chemicals threaten human health and reproductive systems.
2. Polystyrene is made with petroleum, a non-sustainable and heavily polluting commodity.
3. The product does not biodegrade.
4. A certain percentage of product will be dumped in the environment, persisting on land indefinitely as litter and breaking up into pieces that choke and clog animal digestive systems in waterways.
5. Foam recycling is a public relations stunt, promoted by the chemical industries that manufacture it. This is done in highly centralized, distant facilities using complex chemical processes and expends far more energy than is ever saved by recycling the material.
Our goal is to reduce the use of this lethal product in hopes of saving our environment, animals, and our own health. Instead of using this detrimental product, we must move towards the use of unbleached paper products. Unbleached paper can easily be recycled and is biodegradable. Cities around Lafayette, including Berkeley and Oakland have successfully banned Styrofoam. Together, we too can promote positive change.
By signing this petition, you herby agree to take a stance against the use of polystyrene.
Sign the petition
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