styrophobia challenge

in the land of plate lunches, the styrofoam clamshell is a familiar sight and one that makes me feel just a little guilty each and every time the remnants of a meal-on-the-go disappears down the trash hatch. last year, a much needed alternative finally arrived in the islands via styrophobia which stocks eco-friendly packaging products like sugar cane plates and utensils made from corn starch.

it may sound a little sci-fi but, lucky for us, these sustainable alternatives just may be the 21st century's answer to petroleum based plastics. bioplastics and its friends not only reduce our reliance on oil, but, unlike its counterpart, these products are designed with the cradle to cradle philosophy and when added to a compost pile will decompose back to mother nature in a few month's time.

[as you may know, old school plastic is not biodegradable and, if it's not recycled or diverted to a hermetically sealed landfill, will somehow find its way to our oceans where it photodegrades into little plastic pellets with devastating consequences not too far from hawaii. these pieces of plastic are ingested by ocean life and eventually make their way up the food chain to you and me. plastic: the gift that keeps on giving.

kidding aside, it's really disturbing when you stop and think about it so take a few minutes to watch this video and see where all this floating plastic ends up. one visit to the pacific garbage patch and you really will think twice before walking past stray rubbish again.]

a growing number of local restaurants are making the switch so show them a little love and patronize eco-conscious establishments who are helping us reduce our environmental footprint by keeping more waste out of landfills and keeping our 'aina and beaches free of pollution.

fyi - styrophobia's website seems to cater more to businesses, however retail packs which are perfect for greening your next party or picnic are now available at a handful of island stockists. even better, styrophobia has committed to donating at least 5% of profits to sustainability programs.

learn more about how styrophobia came to be here.