Styrofoam?

Question

can anyone explain in detail whats its doing to the enviroment?

Answer 1

Styrofoam is a hydrocarbon, it lasts forever and a day if it's just tossed out. Once manufactured it's pretty harmless stuff and doesn't biodegrade or give off toxic fumes or anything like that (unless it's burned).

The production and extraction of oil in the first place from which to make styrofoam is depleting our oil resources and produces substantial amounts of greenhouse gases.

Disposal is a problem because it's bulky. Dissolving it in solvents (gasoline for example) turns it into a goo similar to napalm which sets like hard plastic after about a few hours. The problem with this is that the solvent evapourates into the atmosphere.

Answer 2

Yes there are ways of doing it, also some businesses do things with it like house insulation, those cubical wall things in offices, clothing, and other neat stuff including Styrofoam trays in supper markets them selves can be made from Recycled Styrofoam.

Answer 3

Yes & yes to Trevor & Phoenix. I would like to add that I've heard of beaches in North Carolina that have an annual clean up day & then recycle the styrofoam into park benches for their public beaches--they look like grey marble that's obviously plastic. Not unattractive at all & require utterly no maintenance & last a long, long time. And no slivers when you sit on one :)

Answer 4

Styrofoam and actually bad. It takes 100-200 years for a cup to degrade in a landfill. Go for paper cups or anything reusable

Answer 5

From what I've heard they say that each time we tear a styrofoam plate or cup..that we eat away at our ozone layer because styrofoam contains harmful chemicals that are released when torn up.

Answer 6

I think all that styrofoam does to the enviroment is that it takes forver to disenagrate, so it fills up the landfills, and i am pretty sure you cant recycle it commercially anyway...

Answer 7

It doesnt deteriorate.

Answer 8

harms it

Answer 9

it cannot be recycled.