trash dumped on back roads

[kalakoa]

Because styrofoam is the cheapest available option. Same with plastic bags.

The legislative fix is a simple "game the market": tax things like this based on their ultimate long-term cleanup cost. (By this logic, cigarettes should be $25/pack.)

[birdmove]

I agree with you Derrick. I hate Styrofoam! I hate Styrofoam packing popcorn, etc. Having said that, at my last job at a Harley-Davidson dealership, our shipping guy saved the popcorn and got the UPS driver to take it to be reused. At least that helped a little. I'd rather a little bit more for food and have it in biodegradable cardboard or paper based containers. And the bottled water containers.....

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[Derrick Barnicoat]

Well if stores went bagless and provided cheap reusable bags for purchase that would be the profitable way to go which is better than being cheap, right?

[Derrick Barnicoat]

Those packing peanuts are such a pain. They are such a headache to clean up, but at least they make them out of corn and rice foam sometimes.

[EightFingers]

Styrofoam is used because it's a good insulator and maintains its rigidity (doesn't absorb grease or other liquids and it's lightweight. It's also CHEAP. That said, I thought McDonalds was using more cardboard?

[Carey]

You CAN take styrofoam packing to many of the shipping locations around island & to K's in Hilo for reuse... but most people would not want to bother with the saving, storing & transport, so the stuff ends up not being re-used...

Added for Derrick - the island is going/almost gone to no plastic shopping bags (new year no more for 5 cents) & fairly inexpensive re-usable bags to purchase - some people like, others do not, in fact here were a few threads on that a year ago..

Foam also uses very little feed stock for the amount of product (a foam plate or container uses a fraction of the plastic used for a solid plastic plate or container. also, styrene is a plastic with a fairly pure feedstock ratio & is a very good candidate for "full cycle" reuse back to feedstock

McD's stopped using styrofoam almost 15 yrs ago, I only know as we were working on a pilot program with them in the late 90's for "full cycle" reuse of styrofoam, to not only "re-cyle" the styrene products, but to remanufacture into feed stock so that it could used for many items, including food containers... very involved system, but at the same time there was a protest group against the clamshells ( the pilot program was still in the research mode & not public) - McD's pulled the clamshells & the research... also how I have seen the power of public action & industry... interesting to note, they went from mostly styrene based products to "better" paper based products, most with a poly film, which makes them less re-useable & still have almost the same plastic... they have since reduced the poly film use, but it still is in many of their packages... Oh well!

[kalakoa]

Accumulation of packing materials (bubble wrap, foam peanuts, etc) indicates a "trade imbalance". Start sending things to the mainland. For example: most unfortunate USians only have access to one or two varieties of SPAM. Do your part to help out.

[Bullwinkle]

I mix it in with my concrete - think hamburger helper.... I would not use it in a structural spot - but footings for the chicken coop or pavers...... the key to living on an island is never to waste anything - imho