How long to biodegrade styrofoam

In addition, billions of Styrofoam cups used yearly in convenience stores, restaurants and lunchrooms end up in landfills causing environmental pollution. Styrofoam harms animals scavenging for food from landfills. Styrofoam products normally easily break apart into small pieces that can choke animals. Styrofoam contains polystyrene which breaks down so slowly that it is not considered a biodegradable product.

When it comes to how long does it take styrofoam to decompose, according to Styrofoam facts, most of the polystyrene that ends up in landfills can take anything between to 1 million years to decompose. Styrofoam is a very stable product given that its atoms are bonded to one another strongly. This kind of stability makes the plastic repel water and resist acids, bases, salts, and other corrosive substances.

This also gives it a long shelf life making it convenient and cost-effective for businesses. The biggest downside to this chemical stability is that it takes forever to break down and therefore, once in the environment, it can remain for generations.

According to scientists, Styrofoam is sensitive to sunlight in a process called photodegradation. Continuous exposure to sunlight affects the outer layer of the plastic, discolors it, and turns it into a powdery substance. This process can cause thin Styrofoam packaging to break down in a few years. However, for Styrofoam products inside a landfill and shielded from light, such breakdown cannot take place.

When Styrofoam is being manufactured, over fifty chemical byproducts are released contaminating the air, water, and communities that live near these manufacturing facilities. One of the byproducts released is styrene which is believed to be a carcinogen. Exposure to styrene can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, upper respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract.

Overexposure can cause more severe effects such as depression, headaches, fatigue, weakness, hearing loss, and disrupted kidney function. According to Washington University, Styrofoam takes years to decompose; it cannot be recycled, so the Styrofoam cups dumped in landfills are there to stay.

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. Styrene leaches into foods and drinks served in Styrofoam containers, and according to the Earth Resource Foundation, the manufacture of Styrofoam releases large amounts of ozone into the atmosphere, causing respiratory and environmental issues. In addition, with billions of Styrofoam cups used yearly in convenience stores, restaurants and lunchrooms ending up in landfills, some cities have banned the use of Styrofoam.

Styrofoam and Styrofoam products fill up 30 percent of our landfill space, and landfills are fast becoming full. A Recycling Revolution reports that packaging material makes up one-third of an average dump.

The U. On average, each one of us puts out about 5 pounds of trash a day. This adds up to about a ton of trash per person every year that eventually ends up in a landfill. The solution to the Styrofoam problem is finding and using alternative materials. If reusable dishes are not an option in your office, recycled paper products are the next best alternative, according to Earth Resource Foundation. Paper recycling also saves trees and contributes to an overall savings when compared to Styrofoam.

Paper products are biodegradable and non-toxic to the environment. Easily recycled, paper is good for shipping and product packaging. Scientists do know that many plastic break down into microplastics, as of yet, however, scientists aren't sure how many centuries it takes for plastics to completely break down and 'disappear'.

That's why some people give a year estimate, while others prefer a more conservative year lifespan. Explore the science ideas and concepts around biodegradability and bioindicators. Bioplastics are a form of plastic that can be made from renewable bio-based resources.

Discover more about the difference in meaning between biodegradable and compostable. This article has lots of links to Science Learning Hub resources for primary teachers related to the recycling and biodegradability in the Material World strand of the New Zealand Curriculum. Information to relevant articles, activities and media are grouped under the following headings:. In this Biodegradability experiment students set up an experiment to determine the biodegradability of different substances.

Find out more about backyard composting on this website. Single-use plastic shopping bags have been banned in New Zealand from 1 July Find out more on the Ministry for the Environment website. Add to collection. Nature of science Sometimes scientists use estimates to give data on biodegradability.

Related content Explore the science ideas and concepts around biodegradability and bioindicators.