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.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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