Scary Fact: Styrofoam

Styrofoam cups and containers take up to 1 million years to decompose and cannot be recycled.

So what's the point of even producing styrofoam?

$$$$$ What else?

"The production of Styrofoam cups requires less raw materials, labor and utilities than paper cups. Because of difference in resource requirements, the price of Styrofoam coffee cups is approximately a third of the cost of paper coffee cups."

That's lovely, but though it may take fewer resources to produce the stuff...

"It is virtually indestructible. Even though it is made largely of air, it does not biodegrade. A piece of Styrofoam is used once and then lies dormant in a landfill forever."

So it all boils down to the mighty dollar as usual - let's pinch a few pennies for ourselves and leave the mess for our grandchildren to worry about.



Of course there's the health issues...

According to a Foundation for Achievements in Science and Education fact sheet, long term exposure to small quantities of styrene can cause neurotoxic (fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping), hematological (low platelet and hemoglobin values), cytogenetic (chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities), and carcinogenic effects.

Styrene primarily exhibits its toxicity to humans as a neurotoxin by attacking the central and peripheral nervous systems. The accumulation of these highly lipid-soluble (fat-soluble) materials in the lipid-rich tissues of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves is correlated with acute or chronic functional impairment of the nervous system.

For example, women exposed to low concentrations of styrene vapors in the workplace are known to have a variety of neurotoxic and menstrual problems. A Russian study of 110 women exposed to styrene vapors at levels about 5 mg/m3 demonstrated menstrual disorders, particularly perturbations of the menstrual cycle and a hypermenorrhea (unusually heavy flow of menses during the menstrual cycle) syndrome. Styrene- exposed women often suffered from metabolic disturbances occurring during pregnancy.

Google Styrofoam and you'll learn a whole lot more, most of which will probably disgust you as much as it disgusts me.

Each year American throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups, enough every year to circle the earth 436 times.



Luckily, there are places that ban the stuff and hopefully that idea will catch on quickly. For now, it's largely an ignored problem - so don't buy the stuff, tell the coffee shop/fast food place to use something else to serve your food/drink in, bring your own mug from home because it's a waste of money and a waste of our Earth.

-Love Marylin.