Styrofoam in VT Dining Halls

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Styrofoam in VT Dining Halls

• Proposal Corn Plastic
• By Taber Carpenter, Erin Walker Renee Denbow

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Dining Services
http//www.studentprograms.vt.edu/vtour/owens.php
http//www.studentprograms.vt.edu/vtour/westend.ph
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• Virginia Techs Purchase Recap Listings at Owens
  Food Court for the week of October 16-22
• 14,200 Styrofoam three-compartment containers
• 11,400 large Styrofoam one compartment containers
• 11,000 small Styrofoam one compartment containers
• 1,000 Styrofoam cups.

• Obstacles
• Alternatives

http//www.studentprograms.vt.edu/vtour/hokiegrill
.php
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Environmental Concerns
Americans dispose of 25 billion Styrofoam coffee
cups yearly

• Not Biodegradable
• Landfills
• Oceans
• Animals

http//www.google.com/search?hlenqlandfillphot
os
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Waste
http//www.zerowasteamerica.org/Statistics.htm
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Health Concerns

• Styrene

• Short term effects
• Long term effects

http//www.indexstock.com/content/topsearches/Styr
ofoam_photos.asp
It is possible to consume as much as .0025 of
styrene from a single use
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Health Concerns
79 of survey respondents said they are unaware
of the harmful health effects

• Benzene

• Short term effects
• Long term effects

Colorless liquid hydrocarbon carcinogenic
http//www.google.com/search?hlenqbenzenephoto
s
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Corn Plastic
1 of the 11.8 billion bushels of corn produced
in the U.S. last year was used in the production
of corn plastic

• Biodegradable
• Renewable resources
• No health concerns

http//images.search.yahoo.com/search/images_ylt
A9ibyGaDeztHtGkA5RKJzbkF?pcornySearcheiUTF-8
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Cost Analysis

• Options to fund increase in cost
• Additional fee per carryout container
• Increase in cost of meal plans
• Increase in cost of meals

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Solution Corn Plastic

• Slow implementation
• Composting
• Raising Money

http//images.search.yahoo.com/search/images_ylt
A9gnMiNNejtH7p8AKyWJzbkF?pcornfieldySearchei
UTF-8fryfp-t-501xwrtjs1ni18