Expanded polystyrene sucks.

You know it. I know it. Your mom knows it. We use it or have used it. We can feel that it is alien and wrong. Have you ever put it in the microwave? Yow! Yet we still have it knowing there is something very wrong about it, something very evil. Part of it is that it’s plastic filled with toxic gas. That’s — really — weird. It’s so cheap and flimsy too. You have to hold it just right to keep it from breaking.

Yet we put hot liquids and food in it? There are alternatives that work better, look better, biodegrade better and aren’t poisonous.

Yet we still have polystyrene food containers. Yep, we eat off them. WTF? Why would we do that? Why would we even let this toxin into our community?

Well, we have an opportunity right now to rid our entire county of this toxic material. Eugene and Florence have already done it. Portland did it over 30 years ago. Our Lane County commissioners are currently discussing a ban on polystyrene foodware. Let them know: Duh! Get rid of the evil crap.

End note: Extruded polystyrene packaging sucks, too, but, for now, you can take it to St. Vincent de Paul.

Jim Flynn

Springfield

Editor’s note: This letter has been edited to remove references to Styrofoam, a Dow Chemical brand of extruded polystyrene that is not used to make disposable food containers.

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