Fourth-grader greens lunchtime at Hermosa Beach schools
Max Riley, 8, had an idea: Instead of his school serving lunch on Styrofoam trays, Hermosa Valley ought to use recycled paper trays. Such a switch would promote reuse and cut down on waste. Max Riley holds a recycled and recyleable paper tray now used at lunchtime on Fridays at the Hermosa Beach schools. Photo by Ed Pilolla. Riley got his wish, with the first Foam Free Friday at the Hermosa schools last week. About 600 Styrofoam lunch trays were replaced with paper trays that can be recycled as well as composted. While fellow students stood in line for pizza served on paper trays, Riley gripped a paper tray in one hand and an apple in the other. “The only Styrofoam I want to see in the ocean is our boogie boards,” Riley said. Environmental groups say polystyrene is a main culprit polluting the beach and ocean. The product breaks down into the tiny and toxic flakes that look like food to fish and birds. In September, the Hermosa Beach City Council outlawed polystyrene takeout containers in the city, but the ban excluded the lunch program at Hermosa Valley and Hermosa View schools. Polystyrene, which includes Styrofoam, is cheaper to produce and purchase than recycled paper, said…
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