Why are coffee cups made of Styrofoam?

It became popular because it is cheaper both to produce and purchase, lightweight, and has great insulation properties, like keeping your coffee hot but not burning your fingers while holding the cup.

Are Styrofoam cups good for coffee?

Based on what we now know, you're probably safe using styrene foam cups for cold drinks, but I wouldn't use them for hot coffee or tea, and I would avoid using plastic containers for hot foods. You can recognize styrene foam cups at a glance.

Are Styrofoam cups safe to drink out of?

What happens when you ingest hot liquids and possibly hot food from polystyrene foam cups and plates is that the styrene may leach out of the foam food service ware and into our bodies. Styrene is such a problematic chemical, it's included on the Hazardous 100+ list that we're encouraging retailers to move away from.

Is Styrofoam worse than plastic?

Generally, Styrofoam is MORE HARMFUL than plastic to the environment. Even though both materials tend to litter the ground, Styrofoam is quite worse. Styrofoam is tough to recycle, meaning many people have to dispose of it in landfills.

Why should we avoid using Styrofoam cups?

Styrofoam drinking leach Styrofoam into the liquids they contain. The styrofoam containers apparently lose weight during the time they are in use. The migration of styrene from a polystyrene cup containing cold or hot beverages has been observed to be as high as 0.025% for a single-use.

Paper or Styrofoam Cups? | Trash Trail | CNA Insider

What are the pros and cons of Styrofoam cups?

The use of Styrofoam or other foamed polystyrene products is a personal choice. If used properly, it is an economical, sanitary product, with low environmental risks. However, used improperly, it can quickly become an unsightly environmental nuisance and does have potential health risks.

What are the side effects of Styrofoam cups?

The adverse health effects associated with exposure to styrene include fatigue, reduced ability to concentrate, increase in abnormal pulmonary function, disrupted hormone function (including thyroid), headache, and irritation of the eyes and nose.

Is it better to drink out of plastic or Styrofoam?

Styrofoam insulates much more effectively than plastic, which means your cold drinks stay colder longer and your hot drinks stay hotter. Plastic cups are not recommended for hot drinks, and they do not have the insulation properties of Styrofoam.

Why is Styrofoam unhealthy?

The manufacturing of polystyrene requires the use of hydrocarbons such as styrene and benzene. These hydrocarbons are released into the air and react with nitrogen oxides to produce ground-level ozone, a hazardous air pollutant. Ground-level ozone can impair lung function and lead to respiratory illness.

Is it safe to put boiling water in a Styrofoam cup?

Styrofoam is an insulator, making it very poor at conducting heat. Heat can't pass on through to the water, so the Styrofoam disintegrates. Now go ahead and bet a friend or family member that you can boil water in a Styrofoam cup.

What are the effects of Styrofoam on human health?

The human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of styrene are unknown. Workers exposed to large amounts of styrene can develop irritation of the eyes and breathing passages. With long-term and large exposures, workers using styrene have had injury to their nervous systems.

How toxic is Styrofoam?

It is a 'known hazardous substance. ' Like all plastics, Styrofoam is a petrochemical; it comes from petroleum, which is known to cause developmental, hematological, renal, and immunological disorders. Styrofoam is made of puffed #6 plastic: “polystyrene” (PS), made 'of many styrenes'.

What can we use instead of Styrofoam?

Polylactic Acid (PLA) lined paper is an excellent sustainable alternative to Styrofoam food packaging. It's a plant-based resin made from corn starch used to create compostable containers and liners for cups or packaging to avoid water damage.

Can Styrofoam get in your lungs?

Exposure to polystyrene dust as a result of cutting Styrofoam can result in skin, eye and lung irritation. Itchy eyes and skin and difficulty breathing can result from chronic exposure to Styrofoam dust.

What is so special about Styrofoam?

Polystyrene is the material of choice for packaging because it's nice and light. It's easy to snap in half or crumble but, crucially, it's strong in compression and therefore protects delicate objects if dropped or crushed. Polystyrene is also a very good insulator, meaning that it quickly accrues electrical charge.

Which is better Styrofoam or paper cups?

Polystyrene cups can leach harmful chemicals, like benzene, especially when they're microwaved, and animals sometimes mistake them for food and consume them. Paper cups — including polyethylene-coated ones — aren't toxic, even when microwaved or eaten accidentally.

Does Styrofoam leach into food?

Polystyrene is considered safe for food use when in a solid state. However, heating can cause chemicals to leach from the foam and into the food. Eating the contents of a melted foam container one time is unlikely to cause harm. However, repeated exposure, which can be cumulative, can be a health risk.

What is it called when you don't like Styrofoam?

Meet the sufferers of “styrophobia,” which Urban Dictionary defines as “getting anxious over the sight or sound of Styrofoam.” It may sound about as likely as Never Nude syndrome (hello, Arrested Development fans!) — but we swear we're not making this up.

What is the difference between foam and Styrofoam?

Expanded Polystyrene. The major difference between Styrofoam and EPS foam blocks is that Styrofoam is made from extruded polystyrene (XPS) while EPS foam blocks are made of expanded polystyrene.

How environmentally friendly is Styrofoam?

Despite what you may have heard, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is environmentally friendly. Made from 98% air, no toxic substances are used in the manufacture of EPS and it is 100% recyclable.

Is Styrofoam cancerous?

In the case of polystyrene, tiny amounts of styrene may remain following manufacture and it's this substance that may migrate. In 2014, the National Research Council in the US reviewed the evidence and concluded that styrene is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”. However there is more to consider.

Why should Styrofoam be banned?

Because they are not readily recyclable, the materials end up in landfills, waste-to-energy facilities, or the environment. EPS materials are extremely brittle and break easily into tiny pieces. These small pieces scatter in the wind and contaminate the environment.

Can your stomach digest Styrofoam?

Styrofoam is a foam plastic that does not break down or get absorbed into the body when ingested. If a large piece of styrofoam is ingested, it can cause gagging and choking. There is a chance for the piece to become stuck in the esophagus and cause mild discomfort with swallowing.