Styrofoam is a hazardous material that should no longer be used in the United States or anywhere else in the world. It is bad for people and the environment!

Styrofoam does not break down easily and it releases chemicals when it gets wet that contaminate water that touches it thus contaminates the water supply.

Another problem with Styrofoam is that it does not biodegrade well and can leach toxins into the groundwater under our overstuffed landfills. Additionally, millions of tons of polystyrene get incinerated and end up as airborne toxic ash.

As early as 1972, researchers identified potentially toxic styrene residues in a majority of Americans sampled. By 1986, styrene was found in 100 percent of all samples of human fat tissue taken as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Human Tissue Survey. Researchers found that Styrofoam cups lose weight when in use, meaning that styrene is oozing into the foods and drinks we consume. It then ends up stored in our fatty tissue, where it can build up to levels that can cause fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, blood abnormalities, and even carcinogenic effects.

World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. Long-term exposure to small quantities of styrene is also suspected of causing:

– low platelet counts or hemoglobin values;
– chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities;
– neurotoxic effects due to accumulation of styrene in the tissues of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, resulting in fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, and other acute or chronic health problems associated with the nervous system.

Because many of these effects can be more pronounced on developing bodies, extra caution is advisable for women who are pregnant (or considering becoming so) and for prepubescent children.

Update: The the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just added Styrene to its official "Report on Carcinogens," saying it may put people at increased risk of developing cancer. (June 2011)

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/11/us.carcinogens/

Tell Sonic to stop poisoning us and our environment with harmful Styrofoam cups!