Petition To Ban Styrofoam At Publix Gets Over 10,000 Signatures

After Maura O'Donnell's husband came home from Publix for "nth" time with fruits and veggies on Styrofoam trays, she thought, "Why am I yelling at him? I should be yelling at Publix."

So O'Donnell, a resident of Miami Beach, drafted a petition at SignOn.org calling for the Lakeland-based grocery chain to stop using Styrofoam:

As loyal Publix customers, we urge you to discontinue the use of all Styrofoam packaging--especially the Styrofoam trays still used by Publix in packaging vegetables--and switch to sustainable, or at a minimum, recyclable packaging. We recognize the positive measures Publix has taken to date to help protect the environment and urge you to take this important additional step.

She told HuffPost Miami, "At the beginning, I thought if I get 100 signatures, I'd be excited." O'Donnell wasn't prepared for the avalanche of response: in just two weeks, the petition has over 10,000 signatures.

Although she sent the link for the petition to organizations like Fairchild Gardens, the Florida Sierra Club, and Audubon Society, she's not sure where the boom occurred.

"Maybe I just spoke something that a lot of other people were thinking," O'Donnell said.

Last August, California became the first state to consider banning Styrofoam altogether. The EPA cites that it takes over 500 years for the material to decompose. And considering that Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups each year, the impact on the environment could be massive.

O'Donnell recognizes that Publix has already made great strides in sustainably practices, so the switch away from Styrofoam should be an easy step. According to the Publix website, the grocery store has already changed the film used to 30% post-consumer recycled material and they've switched their Rotisserie Chicken bags to unbleached natural chlorine-free paper that's biodegradable.

O'Donnell says once she sees the signatures start to drop off, she'll close the petition and send the impressive list of signatures to Publix headquarters.

"I feel a certain obligation to see this through and to make sure I deliver it in an impactful way," she said.

HuffPost Miami reached out to Publix media relations, who have yet to comment.

Comments

[opus 1]

11:23 AM on 12/29/2011

This is one of the most ridiculous petitions I've heard about. Publix is more environmentally responsible retail businesses around. The foam packaging they use not only ensures that my food stays fresher longer, it's a way to keep costs down. Each store has foam and plastic bag recycling bins at the entrance. It's a simple step for me to rinse the trays, egg cartons, cups, hinged containers, foam plates. and plastic bags I use at home and return them to the Canton, GA store where I shop. These materials will then be recycled to make other non-food packaging, like office products, DVD cases, home products, and plastic lumber.
Publix isn't environmentally irresponsible - the people who don't take the time to recycle the material are.

[huff aware]

10:22 PM on 01/09/2012

opus 1: you need to get your facts right. Styrofoam is non-biodegradable and does not keep your food fresher, it only helps to leak cancerous substance into your food ! it has been proven this takes over 500 years to break down ! This kind of stuff costs us USA tax payers $253 million year to clean up. not to mention the costs to our health system ! This is an intelligent petition to protect you the consumer. please research before posting this type of comment. Publix need to be more environmental than posting a bandaid on problems or to public calling. Banning plastic bags altogether would be a huge start.

[opus 1]

10:48 PM on 01/10/2012

Not to be argumentative, but I do have my facts right. Fact is irrefutable, not opinion based or conjecture.
Fact: EPS foam, like other plastics, is recyclable, and is recycled through many outlets.
Fact: The three "R" tenets of the environmental community, reduce, reuse, recycle, fit plastic perfectly, including foam.
Fact: No one, including the EPA, knows how long it takes plastics to degrade. The question is not how long it takes to degrade but how can we keep material out of landfills?
Fact: Businesses like Publix, communities like Los Angeles, instutiutions like Penn State, and manufacturers of this material are recycling foam.
Fact: Landfills are tombs. They encase material in dirt and other materials which make it difficult at best for even degradables to break down in any short period of time. When they do, they emit noxious gasses like methane and seep contaminants into our groundwater. See research done by William Rathje, Professor of Archeology,University of Arizona.
Fact: Recycling keeps material out of landfills reduces our dependence on raw petroleum to make them.
Conclusion: People should recycle plastics, including foam, where possible. Publix is a resopnsible community partner.

You might remember pulp meat trays. They absorbed blood and juice and shortened food's freshness. This resulted in illness and increased food waste. Foam meat trays helped increase freshness and reduce waste.

We can discuss how much less material is used, it's lightweight, and how much energy is saved in production and transportation compared to other products, etc.
Opus 1

[helenschmelen]

08:14 AM on 12/24/2011

consumer action yay!

[Gasparilla]

11:28 PM on 12/23/2011

Publix has recycling bins in front of all stores for plastic bags, egg cartons and trays. Few people use them.

[woodnwire]

06:35 PM on 12/23/2011

that will save us.

[JaxArab]

06:31 PM on 12/23/2011

These people have so much time on their hands, nothing better to do ?

[roald]

05:12 PM on 12/24/2011

Yet you have so much time that you can comment on this article.

[JaxArab]

10:30 AM on 12/26/2011

It is a short comment.

[carolgregor]

05:27 PM on 12/23/2011

Publix is a great company. Now they need to get rid of the homophobic Salvation Army!!

[sparkybrown7877]

03:33 PM on 12/23/2011

I only buy loose stuff, so, why not do the same and leave the tray vegetables pile up on their own shelves? Easy!

[CHARLESTHETENTH]

11:46 AM on 12/23/2011

Did you know that most of the storefront pillars and structural designs although meant to look like stucco or concrete are actually styrofoam base and covered over to look like something it is not. It is used this way in shopping malls, strip malls, Country Clubs, Building fronts etc...When these structures come down all this material goes to the local dump. Let's not forget the styrofoam used in automobiles, packing material, displays, artificial plant bases, insulation material, packaging etc ...not only with veggies but meats, fish and poultry as well....The list goes on and on. Singling out Publix may be a step in the right direction but it is a very very small step and has absolutely no impact on the use of Styrofoam as a whole. This material is here to stay and the only way to totally protect our environment is to ban it's use altogether.

[RickO]

11:45 AM on 12/23/2011

Publix is our big grocery store around here and it's true; the amount of packaging they use is almost like a cruel joke. Two little peppers on a styrofoam tray, in a cardboard sleeve, shrink wrapped and double bagged. Publix is also more expensive than other stores where the produce is bulk and you bag it yourself, so that argument doesn't hold water either.

[cmon really]

11:13 AM on 12/23/2011

On a side note I'll bet Maura O'Donnell's airconditioning is not environmentally friendly either. Yet she has it running most of the year.

[Debbie338]

12:07 PM on 12/23/2011

You don't know that at all. And even if it were true, no styrofoam is still an improvement, with or without her AC. Why take a petty jab?

[cmon really]

12:53 PM on 12/23/2011

I live in Miami so yes I can assure you I do know that for sure. I totally agree that any improvement is a step in the right direction. As far as petty jabs, maybe. I'm just saying that sacrifice is easier when it's someone else doing the sacrifice.

[edgySF]

12:15 PM on 12/23/2011

typical hater. must be a republican't...

[cmon really]

12:55 PM on 12/23/2011

Typical huffposter, if you have noting to say call them a racist or a Republican, yawn. Perhaps some new material for next time.

[OooZzzzz]

11:04 AM on 12/23/2011

Get rid of Styrofoam trays and replace switch to sustainable, or at a minimum, recyclable packaging which will add additional costs for the grocery store chain in obtaining the new packaging (probably having to end existing contract vendor & acquire a new packaging vendor) which will increased factory producion costs, added transportation costs, delivery costs and increased taxes.

All those additional costs to Publix will be added to the higher costs of those packaged fruits and veggies which will be passed on to the customer in higher prices for those new packaged fruits and vegtables.

Bottom line: Higher food prices which will become another Publix shopper complaint.

Publix shopper: "Why has the price of these fruits and veggies gone up? This is an outrage!"

Another complaint/petition. Stop screwing with this. You're only increasing your monthly food bill and everyone elses' during a recession.

These people have nothing else better to do but unknowing to them, increase the prices of food across the board at Publix grocery stores all over the state of Florida for everyone else.

Take the used/disgarded styroform tray, separate your trash plastics for waste management to pick up, let them deal with the empties and just leave it alone.

Find something else to complain about.

[edgySF]

12:16 PM on 12/23/2011

FAIL

[OooZzzzz]

01:31 PM on 12/23/2011

You know what I'm saying is true.

This is one of the reasons why the economy continues to suffer. Not thinking it through/not understanding the nature of how big business works and not considering that their selfish actions affects millions in paying unnecessary higher food prices during a recession.

Small group of complainers with nothing better to do except make it problematic financially for many because they each personally hate the idea of having to place a used styroform container in their personal trash at home after use.

Really? Give me a break!

I guess they can also petition to change the use of aluminum cans for a minimum, recyclable packaging for the many solid/liquid food items that they contain to "help protect the environment". Way more empty aluminum cans trashing the environment in Florida/all over America than styrofoam containers.

They wanna save the environment? 3 things.

Get involved n the "Adopt a highway" program. Continually go and pick up trash on both sides of the stretch of highway/interstate you "adopted" or complain to waste management since they are the one of the final handlers of styroform trays regarding final disposal or be more responsible as a neighbor and separate your trash properly so that waste management doesn't have to do it for you in their final disposal stages.

Stop screwing with the unnecessary spending of other people's hard earned money simply because you have nothing better to do!

[sparkybrown7877]

03:35 PM on 12/23/2011

Yeap, war on styrofoam! Get ready! Lol !

[j-tho]

10:51 AM on 12/23/2011

if publix has smart people at the top, they will go ahead and make the change, ahead of the wave ~

[Ramon Moreno]

05:52 PM on 12/23/2011

They went to college. No hope.

[WomenOnGuard]

10:40 AM on 12/23/2011

They should do like many California grocery stores and sell re-usable bags. You can wash the ones that had meat in them, after you put your groceries away. Or you can buy your own bags, like the ones that expand and look like fishing nets! Keep them in the trunk of your car.

[j-tho]

10:52 AM on 12/23/2011

ummm, they've been doing that for 15+ years ~

[callie34677]

11:37 AM on 12/23/2011

People from other parts of the country just assume that us here in FL need them to tell us how things are done. :)

[Deaninphilly]

06:05 PM on 12/23/2011

Why does everyone always assume that everyone in Florida is living 50 years behind everyone else?

You do realize Publix is in more states than just Florida?

They've had those for years and years now

[KenInd]

10:08 AM on 12/23/2011

This is good. Next up: get rid of plastic bags.

I would like to see a Federal bill to require a decrease of all packaging by, say 5% a year until it is reduced by 40%, and that all packaging be biodecradable or recycleable.

A national bottle tax would be a good idea too.

[j-tho]

10:53 AM on 12/23/2011

i like that some stores ~ like target ~ actually take $$$ off your bill if you bring your own bag(s).

[cmon really]

09:43 AM on 12/23/2011

Just a a little info about Publix in case you may think they are not environmentally friendly already... They are Florida's largest recycler.

[KenInd]

10:09 AM on 12/23/2011

I like Publix, but they are a big player, so why shouldn't they take this suggestion on board?

[cmon really]

11:03 AM on 12/23/2011

I'm sure they will. Publix is all about it's customers and I'm sure they will do something about it if they feel this is what the customer wants. The reality is Publix has changed it's policy on produce over the years. Having prepacked produce used to be a selling point of theirs, "Fresh picked not picked over" was their slogan for produce and almost all their produce was prepacked. There is nowhere near the amount of prepacked produce at Publix as there used to be. And come to think of it I'm not sure what is left there that is actually prepacked in foam, maybe mushrooms but not much else anymore. For produce this is really a non issue IMO. Now meats are another story. But be careful what you wish for in Dade county where I used to live the meat comes in a nasty paper tray that is always wet because thats the way the county wants it. I'm sure there is another solution though for that too.

[Ramon Moreno]

05:54 PM on 12/23/2011

Because they generate the most waste.

Next.