Styrofoam is made out of styrene which is a petroleum-based product. How is styrofoam made? Through polymerization, styrene is refined into polystyrene and then a hydrofluorocarbon agent is added. This combination is then extruded and allowed to expand under pressure until it forms a foam board.

What element is styrofoam made of?

Styrofoam is made of the polymer polystyrene, where styrene is the repeating monomer. Styrene is composed only of carbon and hydrogen. Have you ever looked at a Styrofoam cup closely?

Why Styrofoam is so bad?

Styrofoam contains Styrene with leaches into foods and drinks served in Styrofoam containers causing contamination. When the same container is exposed to sunlight, it creates harmful air pollutants that contaminate landfills and deplete the ozone layer.