HOW Styrofoam is Bad for the Environment

Have you ever wondered how Styrofoam is bad for the environment?
Most people have heard it said that this material does detrimental things to the planet, but very few people actually understand what it is that Styrofoam does and how it harms the environment. This article will explain the impact Styrofoam has on the planet and will suggest things you can do to help minimize the damage caused by this material

A Brief History of Styrofoam

The word Styrofoam is actually a trademarked term for a particular brand of extruded polystyrene foam manufactured by Dow Chemicals. Styrofoam was originally considered a miracle material with multiple purposes when it was invented in the early 1940s. It was said to have superior insulating and buoyancy qualities that made it an extremely versatile product. More information on the history of Styrofoam can be found on the Dow website. This blue material is commonly used in building and should not be confused with food packaging. The name 'Styrofoam' is well known, however it is sometimes used incorrectly. Much like Xerox became synonymous for all copier machines after the success of the initial Xerox copier, Styrofoam has became a term that is often incorrectly applied to all extruded polystyrene foam materials. Material that is not Styrofoam should be referred to as foam.

Understanding How Styrofoam is Bad for the Environment

Looking back at all these positives, it appears that Styrofoam was a material that was too good to be true. Much like DDT (which was originally heralded as a miracle pesticide until it was eventually proven to be non-water soluble and would build up to toxic levels in underground water tables) Styrofoam has its own dark secrets that took many years to discover.

Problems With Styrofoam

·           Non-Biodegradable – Styrofoam appears to last forever, as it is resistant to photolysis or the breaking down of materials by protons originating from a light source. This fact, combined with the fact that Styrofoam is lightweight and floats, means that over time a great deal of Styrofoam has accumulated along coasts and waterways around the world. It is now considered the main component of marine debris.

·           Not-Usually Recycled – Many municipal recycling programs do not recycle Styrofoam because it is virtually weightless which makes it worthless as scrap. The same lightweight property of the material makes collecting it difficult, because even light winds can send it blowing great distances.

·           HFCs – Styrofoam is manufactured by using HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons, which have negative impacts on the ozone layer and global warming. HFCs are less detrimental to the ozone than CFCs, which they replaced in the manufacturing of Styrofoam, but it is thought that the impact of HFCs on global warming is much more serious.

Flame Retardants – The brominated flame retardants that are used on Styrofoam are also causing concern, and some research suggests that these chemicals might have negative environmental and health effects

DONT JUST READ...

STOP USING STYROFOAM !

IT BEGINS FROM US.....