Environmental and corporate social responsibility non-profit has called upon four major US companies — Amazon, McDonald’s, Target and Walmart — to ditch polystyrene foam packaging from their operations.
Released in mid-January, The New Plastics Economy recommends replacing polystyrene (PS), expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVS) as packaging materials. The report was endorsed by brands including Coca-Cola, Danone, Dow Chemical, L’Oreal, Marks & Spencer, Mars, PepsiCo, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever, and also calls for a global protocol to reduce the number of plastics in use to those that are least toxic and more recyclable.
Polystyrene foam used for coffee cups, takeout containers and packing materials is rarely recycled. As a result, is often swept into waterways and has become one of the top items found in ocean beach cleanups. Foam packaging materials break down into small indigestible pellets which animals mistake for food. The consumption of these pellets is often lethal birds, turtles and whales.
Resolutions were also filed with Amazon and Target, and the group is currently in talks with Walmart, which use PS foam as packing material in their e-commerce operations. The proposals urge the companies to assess the environmental impacts of continued use and to develop a time line for phase out.
The Ellen MacArthur report says replacement pf PVC, EPS and PS would enhance recycling economics and reduce their potential negative impact as substances of concern. The report notes that EPS is often used for takeout food packaging, but is rarely recycled and becomes heavily contaminated with waste food, reducing its recycling potential.
As the situation that EPS was rarely recycled. Many companies which are committed to supply solution to foam recycling may play an important role in protecting environment.
INTCO is one of these companies which has already recycled 50,000 tons of waste Polystyrene foam, which helps save 4,000,000 trees and reduce 100,000 tons of carbon emission since 2012.And the quantities continues to rise till now.Recycling is really an effective way of protecting environment.I think it’s a really worthy method to follow.