Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; Job 24:18
Around the world, countries are passing bans on Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) the latest being Nigeria’s capital Lagos. These countries show that it is not necessary to put our food in this product
The Mothers’ Union in the Province of Southern Africa passed a resolution to stop using Styrofoam at their events. Why did they do this?
Styrofoam is one of the most used packaging methods in the food industry. It is convenient, cheap, and provides excellent conditions for storage of food and beverages. Styrofoam is a disposable product made of polystyrene, which is a petroleum-based plastic. Styrofoam has more harmful effects as compared to its convenience. There is a need to inform people about the environmental and health impacts to poses on people and the planet. The harms are mainly from the plastic Styrofoam is made from.
Environmental Impacts
Polystyrene is non-biodegradable. A Styrofoam cup can take as long as 500 years to decompose completely.
Recycling Styrofoam is very expensive, it is usually disposed of, taking up a lot of space in landfills, even more than paper, and may eventually re-enter the environment when landfills are breached.
Styrofoam is harmful for the environment because it is made with petroleum, a non-renewable resource which contributes to air pollution and climate change.
When not disposed in a proper manner, Styrofoam can contribute to flooding by clogging drains.
When Styrofoam enters our waterways, it can be ingested by aquatic animals, thus harming or killing them.
Health Impacts
Polystyrene, the main material in Styrofoam, contains the substances Styrene and Benzene, which are both considered carcinogens (cancer causing) and neurotoxins that are extremely hazardous to human health.
Hot foods or liquids, alcohols, oils and acidic foods start a partial breakdown of Styrofoam, causing some toxins to be released into our foods, which, when eaten, are absorbed into our bloodstream.
The good news is that more and more countries are banning the use of Styrofoam and other products are entering the market. Have a look at this encouraging list – see if your country is on it and if not push for a ban – or implementation of the ban!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_polystyrene_foam