PeaceJam | Styrofoam Ban in the City of Arvada

Styrofoam Ban in the City of Arvada

Restoring Earth's Environment

Affiliate:	Rocky Mountain

Club:	Foster Elementary School

Location:	Arvada, Colorado, United States

Created:	3/11/2010

Last Update:	3/11/2010

Project Goal: The Foster Leadership Squad would like to get the City of Arvada to ban to use of Styrofoam in restaurants. Throughout our project we also hope to educate people about the harmful effects of Styrofoam on our environment and on the amount of space it takes up in our landfills. Root Cause: We think that there are many different root causes for people overusing Styrofoam. First, people do not understand the negative effects of Styrofoam on our environment and in our landfills. Second, people are not aware of the available alternatives that can be used instead of Styrofoam. Third, people do not prioritize the importance of environmental sustainability vs. cost. While some of the alternatives can be slightly more expensive, they are a small price to pay for practicing business in a sustainable way. Lastly, people are really used to using Styrofoam and we think that part of the reason people use it is out of habit, so through building awareness about its harmful effects we hope to change that habit. Project Plan: The Foster Leadership Squad in split into 4 different groups, all researching different information: alternatives, impact, numbers, case studies, government. The alternatives group is exploring other takeout products that can replace Styrofoam and their costs and availability. The impact group is looking at the impact of Styrofoam on the environment and the impact a ban could have on the restaurants. The Numbers group is exploring the pounds of Styrofoam used in the city and how much could be saved with a ban. The case studies group is looking at other cities that have banned Styrofoam and their processes. And lastly, the government group is making contact with the different government official and determining the process in Arvada to get this ban complete. Once we bring all of this information together we will work with the City Counsel through council meeting and study councils. We will also work with the City Attorney and Sustainability coordinator to help us present a thorough request to the City Council to ban the use of Styrofoam in the City of Arvada.