Help us halt the use of foam boxes at Raising Cane's so that we can eat it GUILT FREE

ALL we want is to eat Cane’s GUILT FREE and that means we have to ditch the foam (expanded polystyrene) and plastic packaging.

What’s so bad about foam and plastic, you ask?

Well, first of all, it’s hurting Louisiana residents.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS), primarily known by its brand name STYROFOAM™, is a petrochemical plastic, meaning it's a product of oil and gas. Louisiana has the world’s largest manufacturer of polystyrene, located in an area known as Cancer Alley. Cancer Alley--also called Death Alley (it’s that bad, y’all), has some of the most toxic air, and highest cancer rates in the country. And if that weren’t bad enough, through Louisiana’s ITEP (industrial tax exemption program), these huge polluters are seeing BILLIONS of dollars in tax exemptions, which could be going to local job creation, salary increases, and community programs. 59 of the 64 parishes in Louisiana are losing money from industrial tax exemptions!

Coastal Louisiana is also especially vulnerable to sea-level rise and hurricane storm surge, which is exacerbated by the emissions of petrochemical facilities.

We know Cane’s cares about Louisianans, which is why they should not support the petrochemical buildout that is polluting and flooding OUR communities.

So we’ve looked at how EPS hurts Louisiana, but what is the impact on individual consumers? Styrene, a raw ingredient in EPS, can leak from packaging into food and beverages, especially if they are heated or fatty-- sounds like… hot, fried, chicken. Styrene is a neurotoxin and probable carcinogen. We really hope styrene isn’t the secret ingredient in Cane’s sauce…

Fatty, greasy, Cane’s Box Combo= delicious. Leached toxic chemicals= EW.

And lastly, what is the impact of EPS on the world? Styrofoam is almost impossible recycle. This means that every Cane’s combo you’ve ever eaten has probably gone into a landfill or into the environment. Sadly, EPS is one of the top ten litter sources found on U.S. coasts and countless animals die from ingesting it each year.

Sand beaches > styrene beaches

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Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) packaging, primarily known by its brand name, STYROFOAM™, is chipping away at the health of our consumers, families, hard-working people, and Louisiana landscapes day by day. Louisiana's Cancer Alley houses the world's largest manufacturer of polystyrene, which pollutes along the Mississippi corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, contributing to the highest cancer rates in the country. Is degrading the health of Louisiana residents and workers worth keeping EPS packaging around? Styrene, a raw ingredient in EPS, can leach from packaging into food, especially when that food is warm and fatty. Styrene is a neurotoxin and probable carginogen. Worse than this, styrene has been found in 100 PERCENT of human tissue samples and 100 PERCENT of nursing milk samples. Is keeping EPS packaging around worth the countless harmful bodily impacts it has on you, the consumer? Lastly, EPS is incredibly difficult to recycle, especially when it still contains any food or grease. This results in EPS packaging contributing to our mountainous landfills and showing up in our Louisiana waterways and landscapes. Ask yourself one last time: do the pros of expanded polystyrene packaging really outweigh the Cons? Here are our demands and timeline for Raising Cane's: 1. June 2021 Switch from foam to new single-use alternative 2. November 2021 Pilot program reusable containers in 1 location 3. December 2023 Half of Raising Cane’s locations use reusable containers 4. December 2025 Raising Cane’s achieves zero waste worldwide

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