Construction is already a resource-intensive sector with a huge impact on human health and the environment. Concrete alone accounts for 8% of the world's air pollution, which is why so many companies are looking for alternatives.
In an already worrisome industry, it's frustrating when someone finds a way to create even more irresponsible pollution — but that's what this Redditor said they stumbled across on a trip downtown.
What happened?
In a post on r/mildlyinfuriating, this user shared four photos of a serious litter problem at a local construction site. "Construction work leads to styrofoam debris for blocks," they said. "That's not snow. That is tiny styrofoam pellets."
The piles of white in the photos could certainly be mistaken for snow, but a close-up revealed small plastic grains instead. They had collected in gutters and cracks after being blown around by the wind and, according to the original poster, a leaf blower.
In one of the photos, they added a caption: "A line of styrofoam pellets headed straight for the gutter that leads to the Wisconsin River."
"The beads are sticking to everything," they added in a comment. "Saw a kid with his family eating snacks near the site. Kid had clumps of beads stuck to his face."
Why do styrofoam pellets matter?
To start, the millions of tiny, feather-light pieces are impossible to collect.
"Not sure how they are ever going to clean up the surrounding areas or keep it out of the river," the original poster said in a comment.
Besides creating a nuisance and a mess, all that plastic waste contaminates the environment with microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic that break off from the main bodies over time. Microplastics have been linked to severe health effects such as increased cancer risk and reproductive issues, and styrofoam in particular is a known carcinogen.
What is the manufacturer doing to prevent this kind of contamination?
According to the original poster, the styrofoam balls came from Dryvit Outsulation's EPS insulation board. According to the company website, Outsulation benefits the environment by improving the energy efficiency of buildings and therefore reducing air pollution. It's possible the benefits could outweigh the drawbacks — especially if there were a way to contain the plastic waste.
"Instructions say to use a utility knife to cut it," the original poster said. "This seems like they used something with a much coarser blade."
In other words, it's likely that this amount of mess isn't normal.
Aside from providing instructions for cutting the material cleanly, the manufacturer advises, "Sweep up and recover or shovel [any loose material] into a chemical waste container."
How can I avoid styrofoam litter?
If you're adding insulation to your home, there are options that don't involve plastic. For example, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard recently highlighted how a traditional straw bale home improves insulation.
Skip styrofoam in other areas, too. DeliverZero offers reusable takeout containers, and instead of packing peanuts you can try paper packaging.
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