Food containers and packaging rely on plastic materials because of their low cost, durability, material efficiency, and food preservation qualities. Packaging raw meat on food trays and storing food in takeaway containers are two applications in which plastic materials have excelled. Both items are predominantly made of PS foam and, to a lesser extent, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PP, PLA, and paper . Historically, an estimated 10-20 billion PS foam food trays and 6-7 billion PS foam takeaway containers (e.g., clamshells) have been used annually in the United States . According to meta-analyses of LCAs of food trays and takeaway containers, among these materials, PS foam is one of the best choices for the environment . However, these LCAs do not account for the environmental impact of mismanaged plastic. Foamed articles, including food trays and takeaway containers, routinely leak into the environment. For example, foam takeaway containers greatly contribute to coastal marine plastic pollution, constituting ~15% of plastic collected in beach surveys . Therefore, foamed food trays and takeaway containers may benefit from redesigning them to follow the principles of green chemistry and engineering. Given the diversity of available materials, there is a need to re-evaluate the best choice for the environment and determine whether alternative materials can do better.