Styrofoam is a trademark of the Dow Company, but the material itself is called polystyrene. Like so many other plastics, it's all around us where it is very commonly used in packing material in food trays and a wide variety of other products, even explosives such as napalm and hydrogen bombs.
Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer. Most people know it under the name Styrofoam, which is actually the trade name of a polystyrene foam product used for housing insulation. Polystyrene is a light-weight material, about 95% air, with very good filling properties and is used in all types of products from cups that keep your beverages hot or cold to packaging material that keep your computers safe during shipping.
Styrofoam containers made from polystyrene foam and many plastics are non-biodegradable. Non-biodegradable trash is a growing concern to environmentalists as well as anyone wanting to embrace a more eco-friendly lifestyle. It's important to understand what non-biodegradable trash is. Non-biodegradable trash is any unnecessary item that cannot be broken down by living organisms. Non-biodegradable trash accumulates in the environment because it cannot return to its origins. There are many different types of non-biodegradable trash including cans, glass and disc. Styrofoam containers made from polystyrene foam and many plastics are non-biodegradable.
Styrofoam can be uses in various ways such as food and beverages containers, packaging products, building insulation materials and craft project materials. The reasons for its popularity is that it has excellent insulating properties that keep hot products hot and cold products cold much longer than disposable paper cups and boxes.
