On March 14-16, 2018, through the Social and Environmental Department of the Student Executive Board, FMIPA UI conducted a free trial of styrofoam replacement food packaging for canteen vendors.

This is done as a step to reduce the use of styrofoam food packaging.

Prior to this trial, BEM FMIPA UI had socialized the health and environmental hazards of styrofoam to canteen vendors and students.

In the free trial, all vendors in the FMIPA UI canteen used cardboard box packaging as an alternative food container to replace styrofoam.

Food packaging made from cardboard boxes is more environmentally friendly and not harmful to health because it uses paper as the basic material, not plastic, the components of which consist of benzene like styrofoam.

Not only is Styrofoam dangerous for your health, it is also harmful to the environment. This container is not easily decomposed, making it a major contributor to pollution.

Vendors in several canteens in the UI environment have no longer used styrofoam, but some still use styrofoam, according to BEM FMIPA UI, this is due to the lack of knowledge of the vendors about the dangers of using styrofoam, styrofoam materials are cheap and easy to get, and practical to use. In addition, the absence of clear and firm rules regarding the prohibition of the use of Styrofoam as a food container is also still a factor in the continued use of styrofoam.

From the results of the Student Executive Board (BEM) FMIPA UI survey of FMIPA UI students, it can be explained that as many as 277 of 288 respondents have wrapped food with Styrofoam and as many as 193 respondents use Styrofoam to wrap food 1-3 times a week. 261 respondents are also willing to use cardboard box packaging as a substitute for Styrofoam with a slightly higher selling price as a consequence.