And keep in mind that the US alone makes around 3 million tons of styrofoam per year. These recycling facts and information was compiled from various sources including the National Recycling Coalition, the Environmental Protection Agency, High County Conservation Center, Earth Resource Foundation, LiveStrong.com, All-Recycling-Facts.com, and Earth911.org. Styrofoam can harm animals that scavenge food from landfills. We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year. ... the magnitude of plastic waste is well-tracked and some researchers specifically question its … Based on different internet resources, every single ton of Styrofoam that we do not use and therefore don't need to produce can save about 12 trees, 1,087 lbs of solid waste, 1,560 kW of energy, 1,196 gal of water, 1,976 lbs of greenhouse gases, 3 yd3 landfill space and 390 gal oil. Researchers believe this may help with plastic waste. Since "extruded polystyrene foam" is a little wordy, we'll call it EPS or polystyrene in this article. Back in California, Caltrans reports that 15% of the total litter volume recovered from storm drains is polystyrene. No straws, lids, plastic wrap or trash. Because of the amount of air in its structure, Styrofoam is considered to be unsinkable and capable of maintaining its form. Little graduated from Texas Chiropractic College with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. It takes approximately 201 tons worth of aluminum cans to make a Boeing 747. Styrofoam that ends up in landfills does not break down at all. This adds up to about a ton of trash per person every year that eventually ends up in a landfill. Health effects from exposure to styrene are irritation of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and gastrointestinal problems. He emphasizes alternative approaches to health-related issues. When the bottom li… Your Government » Departments » Public Utilities Department » Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Division » Keeping Green / Helpful Information Page. Landfills are quickly filling up and Styrofoam is an active contributor occupying more space than other waste. Additionally, Styrofoam harms marine life. In 1986, Styrofoam manufacturers were the 5th largest producer of toxic waste. About one-third of an average landfill's waste is made up of packaging material. Every day, approximately 1,369 tons of Styrofoam is buried into U.S. landfills. It is a light-weight material, about 95% air with very good insulation properties. The process of making polystyrene pollutes the air and creates large amounts of liquid and solid waste. Use compostable paper or reusable dinnerware. Food service containers must be clean or rinsed. The Earth Resource Foundation reports that Styrofoam manufacturers were the fifth largest producer of toxic waste in 1986. This represents an estimated hidden cost equivalent to 1.2 cents per Styrofoam cup produced. A Recycling Revolution reports that packaging material makes up one-third of an average dump. Health effects from exposure to styrene include irritation of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and gastrointestinal problems. According to The California Department of Conservation, the costs of recycling styrofoam amounts to $3000 per single ton. That works out to the equivalent of 208 Olympic-sized swimming pools of styro-waste every year. Over 90,000 workers face exposure to the effects of styrene, the basic building block of polystyrene, each year in industries such as rubber and fiberglass manufacturing companies. 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The solution to the Styrofoam problem is finding and using alternative materials. According to the EPA, Americans trash approximately 25 billion Styrofoam cups and take-out containers every year. Used in product packages and the shipping industry, the world produces tons of it each year. By the end of this year, McDonald’s will phase out foam cups and containers worldwide, in favor of 100% recycled materials. By volume, Styrofoam products fill up 25 to 30 percent of landfill space around the world. Every year Americans waste enough polystyrene that it could circle the Earth 426 times. Styrofoam and Styrofoam products fill up 30 percent of our landfill space, and landfills are fast becoming full. But across the country, plastic foam bans have passed in more than 200 cities and other communities, from Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine. Take your unwanted packaging pellets/peanuts to a local packing and shipping store for reuse. Landfills are quickly filling up and Styrofoam is an active contributor occupying more space than other waste. Styrofoam does not degrade or break down over time. Despite regulations across Canada encouraging the collection and recycling of Styrofoam, 80 per cent of it ends up in Canada’s landfills and environment. Polystyrene is manufactured with HCFC-22, a green house gas that affects the ozone layer, and petroleum, a non-sustainable and highly … However, used improperly, it can quickly become an unsightly environmental nuisance and does have potential health risks. Some businesses collect  Styrofoam for reuse and recycling. If used properly, it is an economical, sanitary product, with low environmental risks. greenmaxpl. Styrofoam is a Dow Chemical Company trademark for a specific type of extruded polystyrene (EPS) foam used only for art supplies and insulation. Request aluminum foil instead of a take out box from your favorite restaurant. Make sure foam has the #6 chasing arrow symbol and place foam in clear sealed bags. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. No packaging peanuts or foam insulation. That's a lot of containers - make sure they're recycled! Over 90,000 workers face exposure to the effects of styrene, the material in Styrofoam, each year in industries such as rubber and fiberglass manufacturing companies. Compared to Styrofoam, these two new eco-friendly alternatives help reduce pollution and conserve landfill airspace. Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year. The DOW Chemical Company is the owner of several registrations for the trademark Styrofoam® which is used on Dow’s plastic foam insulation and construction products for use in residential, commercial, and … A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year. A recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that, in 2012, 80 per cent of styrofoam waste in Canada, more than 6,500 tonnes, ended up … University of Washington: Amazing Facts about Recycling, A Recycling Revolution: Aluminum Recycling Facts. Over 90,000 workers face exposure to the effects of styrene, the material in Styrofoam, each year in industries such as rubber and fiberglass manufacturing companies. But even for conscientious consumers, sometimes Styrofoam … Styrofoam is non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. | Website Design by Granicus - Connecting People and Government, Every ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees, 60,000 gallons of water, 225 kilowatt hours of electricity, 350. pounds of limestone, 275 pounds of sulfur, 9,000 pounds of steam, and 3.3 cubic yards of landfill airspace. Styrofoam containers are known as polystyrene (PS) containers. The U.S. is the biggest trash producer in the world, filling America's landfills at an alarming rate. As per conservative estimates, hundreds of thousands of tons of waste polystyrene is produced in the Middle East and sent to landfills each year. The use of Styrofoam or other foamed polystyrene products is a personal choice. Styrofoam is a major environmental problem. NotesDrop-off: food service foam and packaging products. The ubiquitous single-use plastic takes up 30% of landfill space- about 2.5 million tons or so of Styrofoam goes to the landfill every single year. Styrofoam has the potential to affect the entire ecological system of this planet. Styrofoam is a trademark named for a chemical compound called polystyrene. Out of every $10 spent buying things, $1 (10%) goes for packaging that is thrown away. I just wanted to say that there is a brand new Recycling Product called a Styrofoam Densifier which melts the Styrofoam in a ratio of 90:1 into a “rope-patty.” The Styrofoam is then bought back by the company that manufactures the densifiers, and the “recycled” styrofoam is transformed into eye-glass and … High density polyethylene (HDPE) natural bottles were recycled at a rate of 30.3 percent in 2015 and 31.2 percent in 2017. Landfills are filling up at a record rate and Styrofoam is one reason. This figure includes 63 million pounds of post-consumer packaging and 55.7 million pounds of post-industrial recovery. Of course, some fraction of all discarded styrofoam … Packaging represents about 65% of household trash. According to The Way To Go environmental group, Hong Kong landfills disposed of 135 tons of polystyrene waste every day in 2006. Paper recycling also saves trees and contributes to an overall savings when compared to Styrofoam. The U.S. annually uses over 75 million tons of paper and paperboard - about 600 pounds per person - and we currently recycle about 20 … With enough Styrofoam cups produced each day to circle the earth if lined up end to end, the potential for major ecological impact is great. Styrofoam makes up a large fraction of the constituent waste. Some companies are also getting with the program. Take a look at the full impact of styrofoam in the infographic below from Green Cell Foam. Over half of the world’s plastic thrown out in 2015 was plastic packaging. The polystyrene manufacturing process is the 5th largest creator of hazardous waste. According to a 2004 study by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, of the 377,580 tons of polystyrene produced in the state, only 0.8% is recycled. The Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi, Indonesia . According to Washington University, Styrofoam takes 500 years to decompose; it cannot be recycled, so the Styrofoam cups dumped in landfills are there to stay. Mark Little began his professional writing career in 2009 with his work appearing on various websites. Styrofoam is a major environmental problem. Learn more: From the land to the sea – How what we throw away ends up in the ocean That single-use Styrofoam cup doesn't just go away after you toss it in the bin. © 2021 Collier County, FL. The Department of Sanitation concluded that expanded polystyrene cannot be recycled, despite the fact that many of the containers display the recycling symbol.. Plus, Styrofoam … EPA measures the generation, recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling of plastic materials in municipal solid waste. Compostable food service packaging is very trendy right now as an “ecologically correct” option. By volume, Styrofoam products fill up 25 to 30 percent of landfill space around the … All Rights Reserved. Paper products are biodegradable and non-toxic to the environment. Styrofoam products have the tendency of easily breaking apart into small pieces making it a choke hazard to animals. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Our model estimates the total hidden costs of Styrofoam (for the current production output of 3 million tons) at $7 billion annually. Styrofoam can be destroyed if it is incinerated at extremely high temperatures, creating only a small amount of water and carbon as by products. Recycling Styrofoam Confirm you have plain white Styrofoam. 3 million tons of Styrofoam are produced in the USA annually, 80% of which is destined for the trash. Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, all Rights Reserved close to $ 1 ( 10 % ) goes packaging... In every comparison versus “real”, reusable foodware when compared to Styrofoam post-industrial. 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