Styrofoam Ban: What's the Next Step?

It's official: On January 5 the County Council banned styrofoam take-out food containers from county restaurants and food stores. Spearheaded by SJI resident Doris Estabrooks, whose five- year campaign finally came to fruition, the ban will go into effect in both the county and the town of Friday Harbor on Earth Day in April, 2010. Honored as the San Juan Journal's "Citizen of the Year" for her dedicated efforts, (see SJJ, Jan 5, 2010,) Doris now plans to continue her work to educate the public on the cumulative and harmful effects of disposable plastic on the environment, and particularly to the health of both marine life and humans. Plastic certainly has appropriate and beneficial uses, but as we all know through our beach clean-up activities and involvement with the Port Townsend Micro-Plastic research project, almost all the man-made ocean debris we find, (aside from driftwood,) is some kind of plastic.

The styrofoam ban is a good step, but where do we go from here, especially when eating out? So many restaurants now serve enormous portions - enough for 2 or 3 people! Sharing a main course with a family member sometimes works, but otherwise how do we get those leftovers home without using a disposable container?

One suggestion: buy a "Tiffin." The word comes from India and refers to the metal lunchboxes in use there for workmen and students. But they are available here too, and a very handy solution to the take-home problem. Made of good quality stainless steel in single or double layers, with sturdy clamps, lids, and handles, their cost is reasonable. And they're available in the islands as well. "Compost-it" in Friday Harbor sells them - see their on-line website (below) for pictures and details. (You have to search through a few pages of their on-line catalog under the "Home" category, but it's on about the 5th or 6th page.)

http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-CompostIt/-strse-For-the-Home/searchpath/54270732/start/46/total/68/Categories.bok

Gourmet Galley in Friday Harbor said they would also look into carrying them, (encourage them if you're in there,) or check elsewhere in the islands, or on line. They're not small enough to fit into a purse, but definitely into a shopping bag or backpack. Like many other "good for the environment" steps, it might take a little while to get used to remembering to take one with you when you go out to eat, but as with our reusable grocery bags, it will soon become a regular habit.