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Styrofoam Shouldn’t Be Banned in Cities
Styrofoam Shouldn’t Be Banned in Cities
Story by Kiana Yezarski
Lately, people have become interested in the topic of Styrofoam. Some people say that it’s not a good idea to ban Styrofoam in cities. Based on the evidence in this article, we shouldn’t ban Styrofoam because it uses less energy and costs less. Styrofoam production uses less energy. “While opponents of EPS argue that it’s bad for the environment, manufacturing products from polystyrene uses less energy and resources than their paper counterparts.” (Source) Using less energy helps to cut back on electricity that manufacturers require to produce Styrofoam.
In addition to using less energy, paper costs are increasing. “In some cases, according to the California Restaurant Association, cost will more than double.” (Source) This negatively affects small businesses because they will have to pay for paper products. “Many small businesses operate on such narrow profit margins that a ban, even one including waivers, could be a death sentence for them.” (Source) It’s not worth banning Styrofoam because it might close down the small businesses we all know and love.
Some people think that Styrofoam can’t be recycled and that it isn’t biodegradable. “Styrofoam can be recycled, but the market for recycled Styrofoam is diminishing.” (Source) This may be true, but when Styrofoam gets recycled, it increases space in landfills by reducing the amount of Styrofoam in them. “The new study demonstrated that sunlight does even more, breaking down polystyrene into basic chemical units of organic carbon, which dissolves in seawater, and trace amounts of carbon dioxide, at levels far too low to play a role in climate change.” (Text 4, lines 27-29) Some say that banning Styrofoam in cities is a great idea. Based on this evidence, we know that Styrofoam is helpful in the environment, and that it is less costly.
Styrofoam is important in our life. One use of it is that it’s useful to carry food and drinks. Another use is that it protects products that are being shipped to homes. These are common uses of Styrofoam in everyday life.
Cities should ban single-use Styrofoam
Cities should ban single-use Styrofoam
By TingTing Xie
Opinions vary on whether cities should ban single-use "styrofoam". Everything has two sides, good and bad, and I think cities should ban single-use styrofoam.
Polystyrene foam has brought many hazards to our lives. First of all, it is harmful to human health (Source) Styrene is the basic ingredient used to make polystyrene, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have identified as a possible human carcinogen. People who work in the manufacturing industry of styrene products and are regularly exposed to high concentrations of styrene have experienced serious health effects including skin irritation, eye irritation, upper respiratory tract irritation, and gastrointestinal effects. Symptoms of chronic exposure include depression, headache, fatigue, weakness, and mild effects on kidney function. Styrofoam containers are commonly used for takeout food, but chemicals can leach into them and contaminate the food, affecting human health and reproductive systems if the food is reheated in the container.
Secondly, polystyrene foam will cause harm to our environment. (Source)One of the main concerns about Styrofoam is that it is not biodegradable and therefore takes up a lot of space in landfills, which adds to pollution problems. If littered, polystyrene foam sometimes breaks into smaller pieces that are difficult to clean (Source) The National Bureau of Standards Fire Research Center found 57 chemical byproducts released during the manufacturing process of polystyrene foam, which not only pollutes the air but also creates liquid and solid toxic waste that needs to be properly disposed of. The earth is the home of mankind, and we should actively promote the concept of environmental protection.
Finally, there are alternatives to polystyrene foam (Source) .Compostable food service packaging is very popular right now as an "eco-correct" option. Compostable containers are made using corn starch, palm fiber, peat fiber and wheat raw materials, which break down into soil-rich compost. A company called Ecovative Design has created a range of products made from fungi and agricultural waste that resemble polystyrene foam and aspire to be a greener alternative. Many independent restaurants and food service brands around the world, such as Dunkin’ Donuts, have demonstrated how compostable containers can be used as a practical container alternative. Since there are already alternatives, why not?
While some people say that the state-wide polystyrene ban is the cause of countless broken eggs, I think there are many solutions. When we go to the supermarket to shop, we can use the environmentally friendly materials I mentioned above or knitted bags and so on.In a new paper, five scientists find that sunlight can degrade polystyrene over decades or even centuries (source). If there is no ban, the output of our polystyrene foam will certainly not be measured by the amount of degradation.
In summary, we can clearly conclude that cities should ban polystyrene foam and society as a whole should pay close attention to being environmentally friendly.Only in this way can we usher in a more beautiful future!
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