Styrofoam

This styrofoam was used as a fast food container for a burger. The recycling label is PS known as Polystyrene and is commonly used as containers for food, cups, egg cartons, plates etc. Styrofoam is foamed polystyrene and has many pros and cons. Its pros being that it has many uses because of its good thermal insulation, rigidity and is easy to form its also cheap to make and therefore inexpensive to buy. Styrofoams cons are that its made using non-renewable petroleum products, it's non-biodegradable and exposure to styrofoam could be a health risk in the long term especially those used for food.

 Styrofoam is recyclable but I think it would be better to reuse it for school projects for example and perhaps you could use the food containers as lunch boxes but it's second life will be short lived if you heat it in a microwave (it melts). Overall styrofoam is damaging to the environment and mostly end up in the grave. I would advise the university fast food outlets to find alternative means of packaging their delicious goods like bring brown paper bags back in style.