The Problem With Styrofoam
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 12:25AM | Share Article 
Did you know that styrofoam (Dow trademark) is 98% air while the remainder consists of polystyrene, a petroleum product? Benzene is used in the manufacture of polystyrene and is a human carcinogen. Polystyrene is a highly flammable substance. Styrofoam takes approximately 500 years to break down and it is estimated that landfill sites will eventually be comprised of 30% styrofoam. Animals may ingest polystyrene foam causing their digestive tracts to be blocked, resulting in starvation.
Styrofoam is an ideal packaging material. But once an appliance or other widget has been shipped to your residence then it's bulk and flammable carcinogen becomes a problem for recycling and landfills. In general, curbside collection agencies do not want styrofoam because of the bulk. You can mail the styrofoam to various recyclers but you will have to pay a fee and you also need to consider the environmental impact of shipping.
There is a new breed of packaging material made from cornstarch. It looks just like regular polystyrene but can be composted or dissolved in water. But it should also be pointed out that use of corn products may not be a solution given the world agricultural demands. Don't expect to see this new packing material in wide use in the near future. Before attempting to recycle styrofoam you should check to see if it is really polystyrene. This can be done by looking for a plastic recycling symbol (triangle) with the number 6 inside the triangle.
So what can you do with styrofoam? You can start by saving all the styrofoam "peanuts" that come in packages shipped to you. Store in a large bin or garbage can. When you buy large electronic products such as PCs or TVs they will be packed in large molded styrofoam "chunks". Break up the large chunks into peanut sized pieces and store in the bin or garbage can.
You may be able to give clean molded food / beverage styrofoam containers to schools, community centres or craft stores. They are often used for craft projects. You can also reuse them at home for growing plants from seeds. If you can't give them away or use them at home then break up into bits and store in the bin.
Once the bin is full then look for a local recycling plant. If there are none in the area then a local industrial composting company may take the styrofoam to be used to aerate the compost. Alternatively, you may consider home projects such as "bean bag" chairs or dog beds. The last alternative is to ship to a recycler or drop off at a UPS store. Expect to pay a fee.
Reader Comments (2)
I can see the need for a way to dispose of this problem. What is also of concern is the manufacture of this product, in that it contains cancer causing elements.
I was thinking the same thing about biodegradable ethanol plastic containers, but I can't imagine that being dishwasher or microwave safe :( But something that restaurants should offer as an alternative to that damn styrofoam.