Break Caribbean free from styrofoam

TO BAN DEFINITELY, AND WITH NO CONDITIONS ALL SINGLE USAGE FOOD CONTAINERS IN POLYSTYRENE (STYROFOAM) IN HAÏTI

For dignity and example

Banderole du colloque

What are we talking about?

Styrofoam is a registered trademark of The Dow Chemical Company. It is made from polystyrene.

The facts

It’s hygienic, it’s practical, it’s light and it’s very cheap to buy. Small dessert plates, large plates, soup plates, bowls, large cups, small coffee cups, lunch boxes: it’s a must-have.
In Haiti, you’ll find it everywhere: in public establishments, in cooperation agencies, in non-governmental organizations, in embassies, in businesses, in restaurants, in street shops, in the street, in trees, in gullies, in irrigation canals, in mangroves, in the sea, in fish.

One more order that stops at nothing...

The ministerial decree of July 10, 2013 "prohibits the production, import, marketing and use, in any format whatsoever, of polyethylene bags and expanded polystyrene (EPS or PS crystal or styrofoam) inputs and objects for single food use, such as trays, tubs, bottles, bags, cups and plates" in Haiti.
In practical terms, polystyrene is perfectly free to circulate throughout Haiti and beyond.

Polystyrene: a major public health issue

Like all plastics, polystyrene is a petrochemical product, derived from oil. It contains benzene and styrene. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have classified styrene as a possible human carcinogen [1].Benzene and styrene have been linked to Parkinson’s disease and leukemia [2].
Prolonged and intense exposure to styrene results in nervous system disorders such as changes in color vision, fatigue, drunkenness, slowed reaction time, concentration problems or balance problems.
Burning polystyrene releases carbon monoxide and styrene monomers into the environment, which can be extremely hazardous to health [3]. Hot foods and liquids cause partial degradation of polystyrene foam, resulting in the absorption of certain toxins into the blood and tissues [4].
In packaged foods to which heat is added (such as microwave temperatures), vitamin A breaks down, producing m-xylene, toluene and 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene.Toluene aggressively dissolves polystyrene. Polystyrene is therefore unsuitable packaging for products containing vitamin A (e.g. fresh fruit) or microwaveable products containing it. Discarded and piled up in the environment, polystyrene containers are niches for the proliferation of pests and formidable vectors of contamination of all kinds, all the more so as risky behaviors are emerging for public health: in public squares and in certain working-class neighborhoods, people defecate in Styrofoam boxes.

Polystyrene: a proven environmental impact

Contribution to global warming

According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board [5], the polystyrene industry is the world’s second largest producer of greenhouse gases due to its use of petroleum as a raw material. For every 1,000 kg of polystyrene resin produced, 3,242 kg of CO2 equivalent are emitted [6].
In addition, the polystyrene manufacturing process pollutes the air and creates large quantities of toxic liquids and waste. Like all polymers based on a hydrocarbon chain, polystyrene is classified as non-biodegradable on a secular horizon[7]. Polystyrene is recyclable, but almost never recycled Polystyrene has a low recovery and recycling rate. According to a Harvard University study on expanded polystyrene, recycling this material is a vicious circle, because when it is incorporated into other products - whether polystyrene or plastic - they will still be future pollutants.

Polystyrene, a vector of water pollution
Expanded polystyrene is the main pollutant of oceans, bays and other water sources. Polystyrene causes suffocation and starvation in wild animals, including marine animals.

Polystyrene, a threat to biodiversity and ecosystems

In the smaller marine environment, plastic poses a serious threat to biodiversity: it can be ingested by fish, birds and other marine organisms, causing injury and suffocation. Not to mention the fact that this waste generates toxic substances in the oceans and can create an imbalance in ecosystems [8]. [1].

Polystyrene: an economic impact

The visual pollution generated by polystyrene utensils undeniably has a negative impact on the long-term development of the tourist industry. What’s more, on windy days, waste floating offshore is washed ashore, making it difficult to stroll, swim or contemplate.
More generally, it’s the country’s image that is tarnished by these infamous piles of garbage, which doesn’t encourage investment. Livestock ingest polystyrene particles when they graze in the gullies. An in-depth health study is needed to measure the degree of contamination of tissues intended for human consumption.
Polystyrene foam is not as cheap as it looks. In fact, the real cost of using these single-use items is staggering; when you factor in cleaning costs, carbon emissions, environmental costs and potential health effects [9].

Styrofoam: an underestimated geopolitical issue

Since it is neither recovered nor recycled, polystyrene ends up in the seas and oceans. Until recently, floating debris was destroyed by micro-organisms, but this is no longer the case with the arrival of plastics, mainly polyethylene, polypropylene and PET, which make up 90% of marine waste. And these quantities are constantly increasing. It is estimated that 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide every year, of which almost 10% ends up in the oceans [10].

Neighborly conflict

Some Caribbean countries, whose economies are built on the image of dream beaches, take a very dim view of their pollution by waste from neighboring countries. It is quite conceivable that they will be called to account and required to take compensatory measures.

Polystyrene: a vector of social injustice

All too often, consumers of polystyrene containers are not the direct victims of pollution. In fact, along with run-off water, these lightweight boxes flow down gullies and rivers, piling up downstream.
There’s another level of social injustice between those who make huge profits marketing polystyrene containers and those who suffer the effects at the other end of the circuit.

[1] https://green-mom.com/styrofoam-bad-environment
[2] https://sustainability.wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Impacts-of-Styrofoam.pdf
[3] http://businessbarbados.com/trending/green-business/the-dangers-of-polystyrene/
[4] http://businessbarbados.com/trending/green-business/the-dangers-of-polystyrene/
[5] http://www.enter.co/cultura-digital/ciencia/icopor-el-util-material-que-esta-lleno-de-problemas/
[6] Mahiout, S. (May 2014), Mettre en valeur ou bannir le polystyrène - approches dans un cadre de développement durable, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
[7] Mahiout, S. (May 2014), Mettre en valeur ou bannir le polystyrène - approches dans un cadre de développement durable, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
[8] http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2012/05/09/le-7e-continent-de-plastique-ces-tourbillons-de-dechets-dans-les-oceans_1696072_3244.html
[9] https://greendiningalliance.org/2016/12/the-real-cost-of-styrofoam/
[10] http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2012/05/09/le-7e-continent-de-plastique-ces-tourbillons-de-dechets-dans-les-oceans_1696072_3244.html