Why avoid styrofoam? Styrofoam contains the chemical styrene, which has been linked to cancer, vision and hearing loss, impaired memory and concentration, and nervous system effects…the list goes on. What happens when you eat hot foods or drink liquids from styrofoam plates and cups is the styrene leaches out of the Styrofoam and into our bodies.

• Styrene: A petroleum byproduct that can be found in plastics, resins, and Styrofoam. It is a toxic chemical that is used to create polystyrene. CD Cases, food service products, and luggage; you name it, this chemical might be there.
• Polystyrene: Created from Styrene, polystyrene is a lightweight, insulating material that can be in both liquid and solid form.
• Styrofoam: This is actually “extruded polystyrene foam,” (EPS) but we just call it Styrofoam. It is made from polystyrene and is used for many things like surfboards, life rafts, bean bags, and of course as disposable plates and cups.

Environmental impacts

In 1986 the EPA released a report that listed the polystyrene manufacturing process  as the fifth largest creator of hazardous waste. Fifty-seven chemical byproducts are released during the manufacturing process of polystyrene, polluting the air, land, water and communities that live near the facilities.

As if the public health impact of polystyrene isn’t enough, its environmental effects are well documented.  It takes 500 years to decompose, and it takes up 25-30% of our world’s landfills. In addition our lakes, waterways and oceans are suffering thanks to Styrofoam waste. There are 57 chemical by-productsreleased during the manufacturing of Styrene, polluting our air and waterways. Styrofoam is no longer manufactured with CFC (notorious ozone-depleting chemical), but still uses HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) that are still linked to depleting the ozone layer and affecting global warming.