Styrofoam a 'gift' that keeps on giving

Friday, December 13, 2002

Dear Marti,
My company uses Styrofoam in the cafeteria and I would like some information about problems with Styrofoam so that I might convince them to switch to reusables. For example, how long does it take for Styrofoam to break down in a landfill?

Signed,
Debbie

Dear Debbie,
I'm always happy to oblige with a little help in anti-styro activism. For the environmentalists among the cafeteria crowd, try sharing this info: Polystyrene (PS), commonly known by the brand name Styrofoam, is a permanent, disposable material- it's designed to be used for only a few minutes, but it's expected to be entombed in our landfills for an eternity, long after the cockroaches have died off. PS foam, the type used in food packaging for products like egg cartons, to-go containers, meat trays, etc., is created by injecting the plastic polymer, polystyrene, with a gas-such as HCFC 22, CFC 11, or CFC 12 (all ozone destroying chlorofluorocarbons), or pentane-to expand it into that puffy material. Toxic and hazardous chemicals, including styrene, benzene and ethylene, are used to make PS foam and are a byproduct of PS foam production.

Each of these chemicals is among the nation's top 25 toxic air pollutants in terms of the total amount released into the environment each year. In addition, scientists indicate that 5% of the earth's ozone layer has already been damaged due to ozone destroying compounds like CFCs. Many manufacturers label their PS foam containers as "CFC free," but read the fine print. Usually these labels say the PS foam is no longer made with "fully halogenated" chlorofluorocarbons, which means that the CFC used previously has likely been replaced with an HCFC, which, though less damaging to the ozone layer, is still a CFC and an ozone destroyer.

If the destruction of our ozone layer, essential to life as we know it, doesn't trigger a concern among cafeteria goers, then pull out the health argument. The next time you get an order of hot chicken soup and a grilled cheese sandwich-all kept warm with the wonders of PS foam- you might be interested to know you're also getting a little dose of styrene to give it that toxic kick.

According to the EPA, foods we eat or drink packaged in PS foam have been found to contain styrene, a known neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen. The EPA reports that acute exposure to styrene can cause nervous system effects such as depression, loss of concentration, weakness, fatigue and nausea. Chronic exposure to high levels of styrene can cause health effects such as liver and nerve tissue damage. There is some evidence that styrene may even have the potential to cause cancer from a lifetime exposure at high levels. An EPA study examining Americans for styrene contamination found that 100% of the people sampled had styrene in their fat tissue.

So what's the alternative? As you mentioned, Debbie, reusables are best, saving pollutants from entering the atmosphere or your body, and preventing the foamy stuff from becoming the fossils of the future. Buy meat directly from the butcher to avoid PS foam meat trays, and buy eggs packed in recyclable paper egg cartons. Going out to eat? Bring your own reusable container in your backpack or bag for your leftovers. Sure, it's a little "Martha Stewart gone eco-nerdy," but the more of us who refuse the stuff, the quicker we can phase it out.

Send your eco-questions to marti@ecocycle.org.