Cups, plates, trays and bowls made of polystyrene take up to 500 years to disintegrate into our earth; categorizing the material as a major component of urban litter and marine debris. Polystyrene is made from petroleum, a non-renewable and non-sustainable compound that releases an insane amount of pollution into our air. It is not a reusable substance and it is taking up so much space in our landfills that it will eventually re-enter our ecosystem if water breaches landfills. If we work to ban this incredibly toxic substance, and encourage the school board to use a better alternative, it is not only our school district that could be affected; schools across the county can use our strategy as a starting point. It is important that we take this step in the right direction and take a leading roll in being more environmentally conscious as a school district and as a community.