by Steve » 23 Apr 2010, 08:22
Turn in boxes are just like the food boxes you get from a kebab shop over here. They're made from expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam is just a brand) and are used much more widely than BBQ comps. EPS is 100% recyclable and is actually recycled more than glass and ally in th UK apparently. I don't know if this is the same in America.
However, the manufacture of polystyrene does produce a lot of hazardous waste.
But I guess the answer to your question is that EPS boxes are cheap and readily available, that's why they're used. The same reason caterers, and food vendors use them so widely. There are environmentally friendly options but you don't see them when you pop into your local Booker.