Why Styrofoam is Bad! « Green4u’s Weblog

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Posted by: green4u | May 22, 2008

Why Styrofoam is Bad!In my previous post about the worse trail marker ever alot of people posted or emailed me “why isStyrofoam bad?” I think I personally took for granted that everyone knew about the ill’s ofStyrofoam so I thought I would dedicate a post to telling you it’s hazards.

Styrofoam which was created by Dow Chemicals in the 1970′s as a insulation device.Hamburgers, coffee cups, even house hold construction products were made out of Styrofoam.The production of Styrofoam products used CFC’s. The use of CFC’s was banned in 1989 somany companies stopped using products made with Styrofoam including McDonald’s(voluntarily). Production methods changed so there was no longer CFC pollution in production butmany of it’s ill effects remained.

Styrofoam does not breakdown easily and it releases chemicals when it gets wet that contaminateswater that touches it thus contaminating the water supply. The following fact I already knew but Ihad to find it online to get that actual particulars (you will be shocked, I think about it everytime Iget food in a Styrofoam container):

By 1986, styrene was found in 100 percent of all samples of human fat tissue taken as part ofa U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Human Tissue Survey. Researchers found thatStyrofoam cups lose weight when in use, meaning that styrene is oozing into the foods anddrinks we consume. It then ends up stored in our fatty tissue, where it can build up to levelsthat can cause fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, blood abnormalities, and evencarcinogenic effects.

(source: http://www.greenhome.com/info/news/41.shtml)

There is also the question as to whether Styrofoam can be recycled. It can be but alot of recycling plants do not accept it because of thecost involved. Here are some other facts about Styrofoam recycling:

Polystyrene recycling is not “closed loop” – collected polystyrene cups are not remanufactured into cups, but into other products,

such as packing filler and cafeteria trays. This means that more resources will have to be used, and more pollution created, toproduce more polystyrene cups.-”Plastics Industry Grasps for Straws,” Everyone’s Backyard, January/February 1990, Citizen’s Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste,

p. 6.

What are the real health effects of eating and drinking food from Styrofoam containers:

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World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. Long-termexposure to small quantities of styrene is also suspected of causing:

– low platelet counts or hemoglobin values;– chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities;– neurotoxic effects due to accumulation of styrene in the tissues of the brain, spinal cord, andperipheral nerves, resulting in fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, and other acute orchronic health problems associated with the nervous system.

Because many of these effects can be more pronounced on developing bodies, extra caution isadvisable for women who are pregnant (or considering becoming so) and for prepubescentchildren.

And now I will take it a step further… Dunkin Donuts!! They are probably the single biggest foodproducer that creates Styrofoam waste! 3 billion Styrofoam cups are purchased and disposed ofeach year in the US from customers of Dunkin Donuts!! If after reading all of this you want to tellDunkin Donuts to change their cups here is the website to tell them click here.

if you want to send them an old fashion letter or call them:

Dunkin’ Donuts Consumer Care130 Royall StreetCanton, MA 02021Tel: 800-859-5339

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Posted in community, environment, food, green, life, living, news, recycle | Tags: blogging,Chemicals, dunkin donuts, dunkin doughnuts, EPA, food, health, health effects of styrofoam,plastic, recycling, styrene, styrofoam, World Health Organization

« How your town can encourage a greener lifestyleWeekly Tip: Water Bottles (with tap water) »

Responses

I found the information on this really informative. i wrote a really good essay on it.

1.

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2 of 14 12/1/11 5:30 PM

By: Amanda on October 8, 2008at 4:50 pm

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I agree! It helped me write to the Office of Food and Nutritions!!

By: lulu on December 3, 2009at 2:02 am

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Thanks for posting this. I hope DD finds a viable alternative to styrofoam. Even if they usepaper cups like Starbucks the cost of their coffee would not have to be astronomical.

By: Kaushik on January 5, 2009at 5:54 pm

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2.

At my school, I am currently in a Global awareness Group and we are trying to switch ourschool lunch trays to plastic or a bio-degradable alternative, this article is helping us withour arguement. Thanks!

By: Logan on January 14, 2009at 8:27 pm

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That is exactly what I said!! A couple of my friends and are were talking about how

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3 of 14 12/1/11 5:30 PM

bad the food was at our school. Then, I brought up how bad the trays were and howmuch they take up land fill. Now, wee are writing to the Office of Food andNutritios!!!


Reply

Lulu-

Please let us know how it goes with your school’s Office of Food and Nutrition.I hope they get rid of the styrofoam trays and plates!! Good luck!

-Green4u

By: green4u on December 3, 2009at 2:14 pm

My son found this site while research trying to convince the school to stop usingstyrofoam trays. I see this post is 2009. please help give us ideas and what theoutcome of your cause was!

By: akfroggyville on May 12, 2011at 2:57 am

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I have been curious as to how some of the people who have emailed me aboutusing this information to get their school to make changes… hope that it hashelped

By: green4u on May 19, 2011FollowFollow




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at 1:27 am

[...] Chloride, PVC, styrofoam, why plastic is bad Thousands of people have read my poston “Why Styrofoam is Bad” and I think people are also curious as to why plastic is bad.There has been alot in the [...]

By: Why Plastic is Bad « Green4u’s Weblog on February 2, 2009at 2:14 pm

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4.

Use 100% biodegradable packing peanuts instead of styrofoam made from grain, all-natural,biannually renewable. Check out http://Puffystufftn.com

By: Donovan on March 21, 2009at 1:34 pm

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5.

OK, so I have a few questions about this:1) if Styrofoam that gets wet is bad,what about theground meat products that we get from the store? I would say that about 99% of meats aresitting on Styrofoam and yes there is a plastic mat in between but u can obviously see thatthe meats DO come in contact and they are very moist! 2) I have read in other places thatpets that eat Styrofoam should suffer no harm unless it creates a blockage but again, theirmouth and stomach are moist would this not release the same toxins in that case?

By: Shari on August 6, 2009at 2:30 pm

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I definately not a scientist… but you are correct I would think the fact that our meat issitting on styrofoam and it is wet that some of the toxins will leach out into our meat.But I also think that the amount of rain and the time that styrofoam spends in thelandfills increases the likelyhood that MORE of the chemicals will get into our

6.

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5 of 14 12/1/11 5:30 PM

environment than the few days our meat spends on styrofoam.

All of this being said… have you ever had the opportunity to buy meat that was noton styrofoam at your supermarket? I have not. Unless I get mail order meat from aplace like LaCense or Omaha Steaks or at a very high end meat market we all do nothave choice right now… which is really too bad!!

By: green4u on August 6, 2009at 3:31 pm

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Now that I think of it I real alize that the meat I use to eat tasted bad comparedto the meat I eat now, this meat isn’t near styrofoam. We just discoveredsomething!!Also, I think that with the dogs that it is bad for thet no matter what. I meanthink about how bad chocolate is for them. And the little liver and things themprobably allreadl realy react up since it has a ton of chemicals.


This info may help me and my friends change our school lunch trays for the better!!! Nowwe may be able to have a more eco-friendly lunch!!!


Reply

7.

Thaks for the luck!!! We are even signing a petion for back up in case we need it.FFINGERS CROSSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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6 of 14 12/1/11 5:30 PM


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Hey! Just to let you know do’t look for me on the web. My name isn’t realy Lulu. Also,green4u is it possible for you to put some more reasons wh it is bad to eat on styrofoamtrays. I t will help write to the Office of Foods and Nutritions. If you do could you tell mewhat it is under. Finaly, what is the derect web addressfor me to come to this page. Rightnow I am going through http://www.ask.com/why strofoam is bad.Please help me those whocome to this websight it will be very useful.

By: Lulu on December 6, 2009at 5:13 pm

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This is the same Lulu as the one with the brown picture right above the letter abovethis one.

By: Lulu on December 6, 2009at 5:15 pm

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9.

I have a few of questions. Why can’t styrofoam dissolve in the soil. My teacher said that it isnon-biodegradable.

By: Fiona on February 6, 2010at 9:48 am

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10.

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7 of 14 12/1/11 5:30 PM

Let’s go green!

By: Fiona on February 6, 2010at 9:49 am

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I support green…

By: Candy on February 6, 2010at 9:51 am

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12.

How true is it that breaking styrofoam products cause greater damage to the ozone layer?

By: Mina on March 12, 2010at 12:55 am

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13.

WOW! I never really thought about that. I WILL NEVER USE STYROFOAM AGAIN!(Or I’ll at least try not to)Thanks for the info!- Megan aka Green Girl

By: Green Girl on April 21, 2010at 1:20 am

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14.

[...] other beverages (tall order but really we use way to many disposable containers). Shenever sees a styrofoam container anywhere (unless she hangs out in a landfill and find theDunkin Donut cups from the last 25 years). [...]

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By: Earth Day 40 Years from now… « Green4u’s Weblog on April 22, 2010at 1:27 pm

Reply

[...] Why Styrofoam is Bad: all the facts you need to know about styrofoam and how tocontact Dunkin Donuts since they are the worst offenders of using Styrofoam!! [...]

By: My Top 10 Posts About the Environment « Green4u’s Weblog on April 22, 2010at 2:22 pm

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16.

Actually here in Toronto we have a program that recycles styrofoam. At the local universitywhere I teach we investigated styrofoam vs. “bio” type products. Believe it or not styrofoamactually had a much smaller impact on the enviroment. I never realized styrofoam takes asmall amount of energy to produce (and transport since it is so light). We also looked at thefact that even with many of the biodegradeable/compostable products, they all still wentinside of plastic trash bag (i.e. not to a compost site or to place where biodegradation couldlikely occur). I think many people initially perceive styrofoam to be bad, but it’s probablyno more evil than any of the current alternatives.

By: Lunch Meat on May 6, 2010at 1:36 am

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17.

Hi, i was trying to find an article that stated the worst effects of styrofoam, cause my schooluses styrofoam plates at lunch. I need to convince my school to change that. Thanks somuch for giving me the simple facts that will hope fully do so.

By: Alaura on September 24, 2010at 8:38 pm

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18.

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9 of 14 12/1/11 5:30 PM

Good luck at your school. Email me and let me know how it goes!

By: green4u on September 24, 2010at 9:09 pm

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they are badfor the earth dont use them

By: peepee on March 22, 2011at 9:10 pm

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19.

you guys rock yahhhh heheheheeeeeee

By: michael jackson on May 18, 2011at 6:52 pm

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20.

Good job comrade we do the same thing in St.Petersburg

By: Spetsnaz on May 18, 2011at 6:53 pm

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21.

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