Plastic-foam dinnerware has poor heat resistance. Since late 80s of the twentieth century, eight states in America, Japan, South Korea and other countries began to set up rules restricting using of disposable plastic-foam dinnerware, it turned out that restriction cannot solve the environmental problems, instead, it caused big inconvenience in daily life. Therefore, foreign countries turned their focus on plastic-foam dinnerware recycling.

The material of foamed tableware isPolystyrene, PS for short. Chemical bond in PS structure has lot of energy, resulting in quite stable chemical properties. So foamed tableware can be kept and used in a long time without quality period on condition that they are not polluted.

 


 
Because PS has poor heat resistance, it becomes out of shape and gives off toxic gas over 70 degree centigrade. We’d better not heat food in foamed tableware, nor can we put hot food or soup in foamed tableware.
 
It is appealed that recycling and reusing system should be set up. Germany doesn’t prohibit using foamed tableware, only forbid to use CFCs as foam material. But it is very difficult and costly to recycle foamed tableware. Japan established a foamed tableware regeneration association in 1991. South Korea stipulates that waste foamed plastic package must be put by category for recycling.

If people keep littering foamed plastic waste, white pollution is inevitable, so it is definitely necessary to set recycling system.