Green Choices Wednesday

                          This..............or This?

Here's another simple disposable vs. reuseable choice.

Stryrofoam, or polystyrene foam, is produced from oil.  Oil is an irreplaceable resource with limited supply.  Unnecessary products that are made from oil raise worldwide fuel prices for everyone by increasing demand for oil.  Unnecessary use of oil also enriches ruthless dictators, some of whom support terrorists.

Each year, Americans throw away 25 trillion Styrofoam cups! Polystyrene foam is not easily recyclable because few recycling sites accept it.  Because polystyrene foam's weight per volume is low, transportation costs often make recycling prohibitive.  Even if it all could be recycled, it can't be made into new Styrofoam, so recycling doesn't reduce demand for new foam.  One Styrofoam cup takes 500 years to decompose!

It is so easy just to use a glass or ceramic mug for cold beverages, coffee or tea.  Many consumers will no longer purchase beverages from establishments that serve in foam cups.  In another developing trend, many restaurant diners are bringing their own reuseable containers for leftovers instead of requesting foam containers to take home.

I don't keep foam containers in my household.  I do keep a drinking glass and ceramic mug in my office to avoid using the foam cups in my workplace's coffee area and lunchroom.

Please consider whether you really need foam products in your life.  Eliminating these products is an excellent way to make a difference for the Earth!

Think Green and Live Green!