Polystyrene foam ban at Health and Engineering

Effective 15th February 2008, the ban on polystyrene foam containers will be extended to the USM Health and Engineering campuses. This ban is not limited to the canteens on campus. All functions on the three campuses must abide by this policy. Efforts are also being made to replace the foam used for creating letterings as backdrops for official functions (e.g. during the Convocation). We will also be writing it into our purchasing contracts for suppliers to use packaging materials which can be recycled. Yes, we are aware of claim that the foam can be recycled but our experience tells us that the recycling agents are not buying them. We would also like to see environmentally-friendly packaging which are shown to be not health hazards.