The Effect of Polystyrene

Why is it bad for the environment?

• Non- biodegradable: Once discarded into the environment it does not biodegrade for hundreds of years.
• It produces huge litter problems.
• Polystyrene debits are hazardous to marine life and the toxic chemicals that are ingested by marine life and therefore re-appear in the food chain.
• The production of polystyrene contributes largely to the depletion of ozone layer and has “global warming potentials of approximately 1000 – 1300 that of carbon dioxide”.
• Polystyrene is the 5^th largest creator of hazardous waste.

Why is it bad for our health? 

• The chemicals in polystyrene can threaten human health, reproductive systems, are classified as a cancer suspect agents and can lead to hormonal disturbances.