STYROFOAM is a commonly used material for take-away food packaging that is convenient, cheap, and effective at keeping food warm. However, once we are done with it, we often toss it without considering its environmental impact.
But is the claim that styrofoam, or polystyrene foam, takes 500 years to decompose actually true? Or is it just something we say to encourage the use of reusable or biodegradable containers?
VERDICT:
TRUE
Styrofoam remains in the environment for generations due to its chemical stability. The Society of Environmental Journalists confirms that it takes around 500 years to decompose because the atoms in styrofoam create a strong bond, making it resistant to degradation.
In addition, bacteria and other microorganisms do not consume styrofoam, and the food residue on styrofoam containers makes them unsuitable for recycling. This contamination prevents recycling operations from handling this waste.
Furthermore, styrofoam is challenging to recycle because there is little economic incentive to do so. It’s important to distinguish styrofoam (polystyrene foam) from regular polystyrene, which is commonly used in commercial products like yogurt containers with the number six recycle logo. Clean polystyrene can be recycled in most places.
References:
https://www.sej.org/publications/backgrounders/styrofoam-facts-why-you-may-want-bring-your-own-cup
https://sciencing.com/long-styrofoam-break-down-5407877.html
