Why Styrofoam is Bad!

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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 is Styrofoam bad? I think I personally took for granted that everyone knew about the ills of Styrofoam so I thought I would dedicate a post to telling you its hazards. Styrofoam which was created by Dow Chemicals in the 1970s as a insulation device. Hamburgers, coffee cups, even house hold construction products were made out of Styrofoam. The production of Styrofoam products used CFCs. The use of CFCs was banned in 1989 so many companies stopped using products made with Styrofoam including McDonalds (voluntarily). Production methods changed so there was no longer CFC pollution in production but many of its ill effects remained. Styrofoam does not breakdown easily and it releases chemicals when it gets wet that contaminates water that touches it thus contaminating the water supply. The following fact I already knew but I had to nd it online to get that actual particulars (you will be shocked, I think about it everytime I get food in a Styrofoam container): By 1986, styrene was found in 100 percent of all samples of human fat tissue taken as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Human Tissue Survey. Researchers found that Styrofoam cups lose weight when in use, meaning that styrene is oozing into the foods and drinks we consume. It then ends up stored in our fatty tissue, where it can build up to levels that can cause fatigue, nervousness, difculty sleeping, blood abnormalities, and even carcinogenic 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 the cost 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, to produce more polystyrene cups. -Plastics Industry Grasps for Straws, Everyones Backyard, January/February 1990, Citizens 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 Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer. Long-term exposure 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, and peripheral nerves, resulting in fatigue, nervousness, difculty sleeping, and other acute or chronic health problems associated with the nervous system. Because many of these effects can be more pronounced on developing bodies, extra caution is advisable for women who are pregnant (or considering becoming so) and for prepubescent children. And now I will take it a step further Dunkin Donuts!! They are probably the single biggest food producer that creates Styrofoam waste! 3 billion Styrofoam cups are purchased and disposed of each year in the US from customers of Dunkin Donuts!! If after reading all of this you want to tell Dunkin 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 Care 130 Royall Street Canton, MA 02021 Tel: 800-859-5339 FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @Greenforu
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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 lifestyle Weekly Tip: Water Bottles (with tap water)

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1. I found the information on this really informative. i wrote a really good essay on it.
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By: Amanda on October 8, 2008 at 4:50 pm Reply

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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bad the food was at our school. Then, I brought up how bad the trays were and how much they take up land ll. Now, wee are writing to the Ofce of Food and Nutritios!!!

By: lulu on December 3, 2009 at 2:05 am Reply

LuluPlease let us know how it goes with your schools Ofce of Food and Nutrition. I hope they get rid of the styrofoam trays and plates!! Good luck! -Green4u

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

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

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

I have been curious as to how some of the people who have emailed me about using this information to get their school to make changes hope that it has helped

By: green4u on May 19, 2011

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Why Styrofoam is Bad! Green4us Weblog

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at 1:27 am 4. [...] Chloride, PVC, styrofoam, why plastic is bad Thousands of people have read my post on 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 Green4us Weblog on February 2, 2009 at 2:14 pm Reply

5. 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, 2009 at 1:34 pm Reply

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

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

I denately not a scientist but you are correct I would think the fact that our meat is sitting 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 the landlls increases the likelyhood that MORE of the chemicals will get into our
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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 not on styrofoam at your supermarket? I have not. Unless I get mail order meat from a place like LaCense or Omaha Steaks or at a very high end meat market we all do not have choice right now which is really too bad!!

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

Now that I think of it I real alize that the meat I use to eat tasted bad compared to the meat I eat now, this meat isnt near styrofoam. We just discovered something!! Also, I think that with the dogs that it is bad for thet no matter what. I mean think about how bad chocolate is for them. And the little liver and things them probably allreadl realy react up since it has a ton of chemicals.

By: lulu on December 3, 2009 at 2:11 am

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

By: lulu on December 3, 2009 at 2:00 am Reply

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

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By: lulu on December 4, 2009 at 1:49 am Reply

9. Hey! Just to let you know dot look for me on the web. My name isnt realy Lulu. Also, green4u is it possible for you to put some more reasons wh it is bad to eat on styrofoam trays. I t will help write to the Ofce of Foods and Nutritions. If you do could you tell me what it is under. Finaly, what is the derect web addressfor me to come to this page. Right now I am going through http://www.ask.com/why strofoam is bad.Please help me those who come to this websight it will be very useful.

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

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

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

10. I have a few of questions. Why cant styrofoam dissolve in the soil. My teacher said that it is non-biodegradable.

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

11.
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Lets go green!

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

12. I support green

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

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

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

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

By: Green Girl on April 21, 2010 at 1:20 am Reply 15. [...] other beverages (tall order but really we use way to many disposable containers). She never sees a styrofoam container anywhere (unless she hangs out in a landll and nd the Dunkin Donut cups from the last 25 years). [...] Follow
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By: Earth Day 40 Years from now Green4us Weblog on April 22, 2010 at 1:27 pm Reply 16. [...] Why Styrofoam is Bad: all the facts you need to know about styrofoam and how to contact Dunkin Donuts since they are the worst offenders of using Styrofoam!! [...]

By: My Top 10 Posts About the Environment Green4us Weblog on April 22, 2010 at 2:22 pm Reply

17. Actually here in Toronto we have a program that recycles styrofoam. At the local university where I teach we investigated styrofoam vs. bio type products. Believe it or not styrofoam actually had a much smaller impact on the enviroment. I never realized styrofoam takes a small amount of energy to produce (and transport since it is so light). We also looked at the fact that even with many of the biodegradeable/compostable products, they all still went inside of plastic trash bag (i.e. not to a compost site or to place where biodegradation could likely occur). I think many people initially perceive styrofoam to be bad, but its probably no more evil than any of the current alternatives.

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

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

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

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

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

19. they are badfor the earth dont use them

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

20. you guys rock yahhhh heheheheeeeeee

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

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

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

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