Styrofoam cups, coming to a Capitol near you

[The Straight Story]

Styrofoam cups, coming to a Capitol near you
By Felicia Sonmez

When the House returns Monday from a week-long recess, members and staffers will see something that hasn't been in the Capitol for four years: Styrofoam.

In the first move toward phasing out part of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) "Green the Capitol" program, polystyrene cups were reintroduced this week as an option for coffee drinkers in the Capitol Carry-Out, the building's mini-cafeteria.

The basement eatery had been part of Pelosi's "Greening" program since 2007, when Democrats took control of the House. The program brought climate-friendly vending machines and compact fluorescent lightbulbs to the Capitol; caused the Capitol Power Plant to switch from burning coal to natural gas; and reduced energy and water consumption in Capitol buildings by 23 percent and 32 percent, respectively, according to an April 2010 report.

But it was the $475,000 composting program in the House-side cafeterias that stirred the most controversy. Designed to cut down on waste, the program instituted the use of biodegradable utensils and trays made of cornstarch -- an idea that may have worked better in theory than in practice, as it led to take-away boxes that leaked, spoons that melted and forks that broke when stuck into so much as a chicken tender.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/2chambers/2011/02/styrofoam_cups_coming_to_a_cap.html?hpid=news-col-blog

[spanone]

1. and soon we'll be relaxing all constraints on pollution...end all regulations

[slackmaster]

2. Is the concept of washable cups and utensils completely alien to these people?

How is polystyrene, which is impractical to recycle in most situations, more environmentally friendly than durable plastic, ceramic, stainless steel, etc. trays, plates, drinking vessels, and utensils?

:wtf:

[Earth_First]

3. So this is the petty bullsh*t that they are implementing to snub Democrats?

Reminds me of Reagan and the solar panels on the White House.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Not on topic, but that cafeteria has really good food.

:)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. That it does

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. I propose we do away with the cafeteria altogether. Congress can brown bag it as far as I'm concerne

No more taxpayer-funded cafeteria for millionaires. They can cram styrofoam where the sun don't shine.