Styrofoam Cups Take 500 Years to Decompose

Polystyrene foam, commonly known by the brand name Styrofoam, was developed as a lightweight insulating material. It became the go-to material for disposable coffee cups, takeout containers, and packing peanuts. The problem? Polystyrene is essentially indestructible by natural processes. Scientists estimate that a single Styrofoam cup takes approximately 500 years to decompose. Every single cup ever made still exists somewhere on Earth. The material breaks into smaller pieces called microplastics that contaminate soil and water, but it never truly goes away. Americans throw away about 25 billion Styrofoam cups every year.