Minneapolis Celebrates Earth Day with Green to Go
Happy Earth Day everyone! April 22, 2015 is Earth Day but is also the same day Minneapolis launches Green to Go. Restaurants, food trucks, hotel and food businesses in the city must start to use environmentally acceptable packaging.
Starting April 22, 2015 styrofoam™ (expanded polystyrene) will no longer be used in any restaurant.
Rigid polystyrene is plastic marked #6:
The following are exempt from the ordinance:
- Knives, forks and spoons (they are not packaging items)
- Straws (they are not a packaging item)
- Foods prepackaged by the manufacturer, producer or distributor
- Plastic films less than 10 mils thick
- Catering companies licensed by the City of Minneapolis, another city or the state.
- Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Health Concerns
The EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have established styrene as a possible human carcinogen. For those who are exposed regularly in the manufacture of products made with styrene, some of the acute health effects experienced include:
- Irritation of the skin
- Irritation of the eyes
- Irritation of the upper respiratory tract
- Gastrointestinal effects
Chronic exposure to styrene leads to further complications, including effects on the nervous system. Symptoms of chronic exposure include:
- Depression
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Minor effects on kidney function
Styrofoam Lasts Forever
Styrofoam is non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. According to Washington University, Styrofoam takes 500 years to decompose; it cannot be recycled, so the Styrofoam cups dumped in landfills are there to stay. With enough Styrofoam cups produced each day to circle the earth if lined up end to end, the potential for major ecological impact is great. It is lightweight and therefore floats means that over time a great deal of polystyrene has accumulated along coasts and waterways around the world. It is now considered the main component of marine debris.
Kudos Minneapolis, another reason making this the best place to live happily healthfully ever after!
2 thoughts on “Minneapolis Celebrates Earth Day with Green to Go”
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What a great movement. Thanks for sharing, Chere. Restaurants generate so much waste, it is disheartening. I sometimes take home the recyclable items that I use to recycle them!
Thanks for taking care of our environment Carolee and taking recyclables home with you! Way to go!