Originally Posted by
bghill1
Styrofoam lasts for decades. New recycling companies are starting up about 10 a year to deal with the stuff. That is why you should never throw any styrofoam in a lnadfill. That stuff never breaks down.
It might last for decades, but that doesn't mean it retains all its properties. Heavily used helmets of mine show very noticeable degradation, presumably from sweat.
Also, whether something is biodegradable or not is practically irrelevant in a landfill. Even biodegradable things like banana peels take forever to biodegrade because everything is packed so tightly and the living things and oxygen typically needed for biodegradation are lacking. Plus, it's a friggin landfill filled will all kinds of garbage...