Styrofoam may be good for keeping coffee hot, but it is also good for stirring up political controversy. There is much for people and journalists to understand about the technical and environmental aspects of the plastic. Plus, for the latest developments, explore recent headlines on styrofoam and read this TipSheet. Technical and legal sticklers may prefer the term expanded polystyrene, or EPS.
Polystyrene is the name for a whole family of plastics, and in various forms they are used for many other things than foam. This backgrounder will focus on the foam forms, since they have disproportional environmental impact. Polystyrene was discovered way back in , was manufactured starting in the s, then was first foamed in the s, and first sold as coffee cups in the s. The term polystyrene refers to a polymer long chain molecule of the monomer smaller molecule styrene.
Various gases have been used to blow it up into foam form. The raw materials from which it is made are hydrocarbons ethylene and benzene that come from petroleum and natural gas.
Polystyrene is a plastic — meaning that when it is heated, it takes a liquid form that can be molded, shaped or extruded. And then when cooled again to room temperature, it becomes solid. This is what makes it useful for commercial products. In manufacturing, polystyrene usually starts as small beads. These dense, hard beads are softened by heat and expanded using things like steam and blowing agents, becoming much larger and less dense beads.
During expansion, the beads become skinned cells that may be as little as 3 percent as heavy as the original bead, with most of the volume being gas. These expanded cells may then be formed and bonded into useful shapes. In finished form, EPS has a number of useful properties.
It insulates; that is, it slows heat transmission. It absorbs shock. It is not dissolved by common liquids like water, serving as a barrier. So it may be great for boiling hot coffee, picnic coolers, bicycle helmets, home insulation, packing materials, restaurant carry-out containers and egg cartons.
Polystyrene foodservice packaging can help reduce food-borne illness in homes, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, cafeterias and restaurants. Polystyrene foodservice packaging is preferred by the foodservice industry because it works better than alternatives. Hot foods stay hot, cold foods stay cold, and fresh foods stay fresh. From organic salads to spicy chili, polystyrene packaging offers more convenience and dining enjoyment for people on the go.
Polystyrene foodservice packaging generally is more economical — wholesale costs can be up to five times less than paper-based or reusable counterparts reusable containers require extra equipment, labor, water, electricity, detergent, etc.
Answering Questions What do public health organizations say about polystyrene foodservice packaging? What do regulatory agencies say about the safety of polystyrene foodservice packaging? What do scientific experts say about the safety of polystyrene foodservice packaging? Where does styrene come from? How can people come into contact with styrene? What is Styrofoam made of? What are styrene uses? What is the difference between styrene and polystyrene?
What is extruded polystyrene foam? Relevant Articles. What Makes Polystyrene Different from Styrene? Most Viewed Latest Content. Even more problematic, the finished material can take thousands of years, and perhaps more, to biodegrade. From to about million metric tons of polystyrene were produced globally, with more than half thrown out inside of a year.
As for all the polystyrene foam already floating around, scientists have investigated some novel solutions. An experiment published in suggested that after superheating the stuff into styrene oil, a strain of Pseudomonas putida , a type of soil bacteria, could convert the oil into a biodegradable form of plastic—polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA.
Unfortunately, the process consumes a lot of energy and produces toxic by-products, such as toluene. Perhaps more promising, in a group of Chinese researchers published a report showing mealworms can survive on a diet of polystyrene foam as successfully as those fed a typical diet of bran. And in a team of European scientists found that waxworms had a similar appetite for polyethylene plastic bags.
Just say NO to styrofoam. Polystyrene products are made with petroleum, and a number of other non-sustainable, toxic and heavily-polluting ingredients. On top of that, it is probably leaching toxins into your food or drink. Want to learn more about why to just say no to styrofoam? In June the U. There is a reasonable chance that these toxic chemicals may leach from polystyrene products into the food or beverage that they contain.
It will be around for a looonnnggg time. Polystyrene is biologically inert - so microorganisms have a a really hard time eating it.
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