Polystyrene is used to make disposable containers for decades all over the world, but in recent years the negative impact on the environment has made some big companies start to stop using it. The dangerous chemical composition of polystyrene increases the toxins contained in the water body, and the international cancer research agency says styrene, a chemical material used to make polystyrene, is a potential human carcinogen.
Because polystyrene is very light in weight, it is easy to blow into the air and enter rivers. Polystyrene is also one of the most commonly found rubbish in beach waste. Foamed materials can be broken down into small, non degradable particles and easily eaten by marine organisms as food.
The inhalation of these substances can lead to malnutrition, intestinal obstruction, the accumulation of toxins, and the deaths that have already occurred in seabirds, sea turtles and whale.
At present, 9 countries and more than 100 American cities or counties have banned or restricted the use of foam packaging. A report on the new plastics economy, released by the Ellen MacArthur foundation in 2017, shows that 15 major brands, including Coca-Cola, Danone, Dow Chemical, Paris L’OREAL, Martha, Mars Inc, Pepsi, and Unilever, have recommended using other products instead of polystyrene as a packaging material.
Foamed polystyrene for coffee cups, takeout boxes and packaging materials is hard to recycle. In 2012, EPA’s annual solid waste report estimated that only 3.8% of the polystyrene foam utensils in the United States were recycled. In 2013, EPA said there was “no obvious improvement”.
Recycling polystyrene packaging can be easier if you use high-chronology equipment and professional polystyrene recycling solutions.
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