Why should we not use Styrofoam?

Why should we not use Styrofoam?

Styrofoam Health Risks Exposure to styrene can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, upper respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. Overexposure can cause more severe effects such as depression, headaches, fatigue, weakness, hearing loss, and disrupted kidney function.

Is Styrofoam really bad for the environment?

Dioxins cause immune and hormonal problems and affect fetal development as an occupational hazard to workers exposed to it. When Styrofoam is burnt for energy or for disposal, it is released into the environment leading to air pollution and health problems when inhaled by people and animals.

Is Styrofoam banned in US?

New legislative measures banning the styrofoam products commonly used in restaurants are taking effect in cities, counties, and states across the country; restaurants found in violation of a styrofoam ban face up to $1,000 in fines for failure to comply.

What is the future outlook for Styrofoam?

The global expanded polystyrene market size was valued at USD 9.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% from 2021 to 2028.

Can burning Styrofoam kill you?

When styrofoam is burned, carbon monoxide is released into the air. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon monoxide is an undetectable gas that can kill you before you’re even aware of it’s presence 2. When styrofoam is burned, carbon monoxide is released into the air.

Does Styrofoam contribute to global warming?

Air Pollution Styrofoam is manufactured by using HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons, which have negative impacts on the ozone layer and global warming.

How do you dispose of Styrofoam?

To throw away Styrofoam, remove any recyclable pieces, then break down sheets or blocks into smaller bits you can put in your regular trash can. To recycle, make sure you have plain white Styrofoam marked with the triangular recycling symbol. Contact local agencies to see if they’ll take it.

Are Styrofoam cups bad for you?

Additionally, the process of making polystyrene pollutes the air and creates large amounts of liquid and solid waste. The Undisputed, Bottom Line: Styrene is toxic to humans and a major pollutant.

How long does Styrofoam take to decompose?

around 500 years
of styrofoam in a landfill around 500 years. One common estimate is that styrofoam can take up 30 percent of the space in some landfills. Once in the landfill, it does not decompose quickly. Some estimates put the lifespan of styrofoam in a landfill around 500 years, and some put it way beyond that.

Can Styrofoam be reduced?

Styrofoam is a material that won’t break down, can’t be recycled and will always remain on earth. We must reduce our usage of styrofoam or replace it with more earth-friendly materials like corn. Packing peanuts made from corn will dissolve in water.

Why is Styrofoam ( expanded polystyrene ) should be banned?

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam, is a petroleum-based non-biodegradable foam, which the EPA and International Agency for Research on Cancer consider styrene a “possible human carcinogen” and “that such materials can have serious impacts upon human health, wildlife, and aquatic environment, and the economy.”

Are there any cities that have banned styrofoam?

Paris, Toronto, and Muntinlupa have banned it, and the entirety of Taiwan has a proposed ban that will go into effect in 2016. See a full list here. Let’s make St. Louis the next city to shut down Styrofoam for good!

Is the use of Styrofoam bad for the environment?

Styrofoam never completely degrades; it just continues to cycle through our environment ruining our ecosystems and our health. The Better Caribbean Program, based in Barbados, works to influence global and local businesses in the Caribbean to avoid the use of Styrofoam.

How does styrofoam end up on the beach?

(Styrofoam is a brand name for polystyrene or expanded polystyrene foam.) Whether Styrofoam ends up on our beaches as litter left by careless beachgoers or as litter washed ashore by ocean currents, Styrofoam is here to stay unless we ban its use worldwide.

Which cities have banned Styrofoam in the United States?

The styrofoam ban in New York makes it the largest US city to ban the material. Other cities that have banned it include San Diego, Miami Beach, Seattle and Washington, DC. The material is…

Why is Styrofoam banned?

Banning Styrofoam, Managing Our Waste, and Promoting Sustainability. New York City, following the lead of San Francisco and Portland, has banned styrofoam containers in an effort to change the nature of its waste stream, as the type of styrofoam being banned cannot be recycled.

Should styrofoam be banned?

According to ABC News, styrofoam is a “covert killer” within a “catalog of carcinogens.” Lila Battis believes styrofoam should be banned, if not from your city, at least from your own daily habits: Ban it from your body because of what it’s made from: styrene , which may generate a chemical that can damage your DNA.

Is Styrofoam banned in California?

The City of San Diego became the largest city in California to ban Styrofoam when the City Council voted 6 to 3 Tuesday, January 8 to approve a law that restricts the use of products made with polystyrene and plastic foam, like take-out containers, coolers and egg cartons.