STYROFOAM

Or Why Society Doesnt Need

Foam
 INTRODUCED
First invented by Swedish inventor,
Carl Georg Munters, but rediscovered
in 1941 by Dow Building Solutions Ray
McIntyre, a chemist.
(http://building.dow.com/about/inventi
on. htm)
(http
://extrudedpolystyrene.com.au/history-
of-styrofoam/
)
 FIRST USED
Styrofoam was adopted and first used
by the US Coast Guard in 1942 to
make unsinkable Life rafts with the
foam. The companies were also able to
make films and latexes out of the
Polystyrene as well.

(http://www.styron.
com/company/history/polystyrene.htm)
 COMMONLY USED
Strofoam Packing Peanuts, Styrofoam
party or drive-through cups, raw meat
trays at the Grocery store,School lunch
trays, and to-go containers from
restaurants are some of the most common
things made out of Polystyrene material.
(http://www.reuseit.com/product-
materials/the- 7-most-common-plastics-
and-how-they-are- typically-used.htm)
 CHEMISTRY BEHIND
STYROFOAM

Styrofoam is expanded polystyrene. It is

essentially plastic, and its chemical make up is
C8H8. Polystyrene has elastic attributes as well
as being light and flexible. Since Styrofoam is
expanded polystyrene it is composed of 98% air;
This makes it a very good insulator. Because
Styrofoam is petroleum based it is toxic when
burned, and creates a lot of carbon dioxide which
 HEALTH EFFECTS
The greatest danger is styrene, the basic
building block of Styrofoam from which the
product gains its name
People that work with Styrene can generally
has irritation of the skin, eyes, and upper
respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal effects
Styrofoam can also be very dangerous if
ingested. Toxic chemicals can be leaked out
of Styrofoam into the food when heated in a
microwave. Those chemicals are a threat to
humans health and reproductive system.
 POLLUTION
Polystyrene foam is often dumped into
the environment as litter. It can break
up into pieces the can choke animals
and clog their digestive system.
The amount of space used up in
landfills by all plastics is between 25
and 30 percent.
It is a non-biodegradable product
 RECYCLING
Yes, Styrofoam can be recycled but the
market for recycling Styrofoam is very
small.

Recycling Styrofoam cups are not

recycled to make new cups but instead
to make other Styrofoam products. Ex
Styrofoam pellets.
WHERE DOES STYROFOAM END UP?

Styrofoam, more often than not, ends

up in the oceans where it becomes
toxic to the Marine environment. When
Styrofoam is dumped into waters, it
releases a group of Chemicals called
Styrene Oligomers, that negatively
affect Oceanic life.