Polystyrene – the quick facts

February 23, 2009 in polystyrene

It contains styrene which is according to some is  a toxic carcinogen that does leach into from the container into the contents – your coffee for example – try this site for an in depth discussion of the issue. 

As with all plastics it  lasts an incredibly long time. Consequently plastic cups and clam shells can be seen littering the environment the world over -  litter that doesnt biodegrade.

It causes the death of  animals  who accidentally ingest it.

In the old days in couldnt be recyled now it can but facilities are limited. Though of course that may well change in the future

Polystyrene and the OZONE LAYER

There are other issues with polystyrene the expanding agent that causes the styrene to puff up affects the ozone layer

However, despite EPF’s popularity and unique features, it has recently come under attack because of the gaseous methane derivatives—chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)—used to foam it. CFCs are inert, and harmless to humans and the environment upon their release. However, long after their first use, scientists realized that CFCs contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer as they decompose. The ozone layer is a layer of the atmosphere that protects the earth against harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. In 1988 representatives from 31 nations signed the Montreal Protocol, a treaty with which they resolved to halve CFC production by 1998. This agreement brought EPF to the world’s consciousness as a threat to the ozone layer. While foam packaging is responsible for less than three percent of the CFCs being released into the atmosphere, EPF reduction has been targeted as a way to lower CFC levels, and new technology that explores ways to produce EPF without CFCs has flourished.

see  answers website

the expanding agent now used is “a pure hydrocarbon, which does not contain any halogens and does not damage the earth’s protective ozone layer.” Taken from the styromelt website

However environmentalists disagree see rebuttal

As with all plastic the arguments are split between the producers and the environmentalists and can be very basically summarised as follows: superlative product with a myriad of wonderful applications, recyclable and above all completely inert and safe – consumerism gone mad and leacher of carcinogenic chemicals.

But whichever your school of thought all agree that its looks nasty, is polluting the environment and lasts a very long time.

So lets not use it to make throw away items.

The fantastic photo is the  State of Shoal Creek Originally uploaded by ca|eb take a look at his work

Want to cut down on your plastic rubbish? – you can find other plastic free products with the A-Z plastic free index