I hate moving because of all the packing and unpacking involved. But I don’t hate moving because of I’m afraid of change or of unfamiliarity; I hate moving because I am terrified of Styrofoam. Boxes full of massive blocks of white polystyrene are among my worst nightmare. Before you write me off as a lunatic, there’s a reason for my fear. The sound of Styrofoam rubbing against itself or against a cardboard box is worse than nails against a chalkboard. It squeaks and squeals no matter what it touches. The texture of it is also unnatural, a feel that as far as I know, is unique to Styrofoam and practically indescribable.
When people find out about this strange fear, I like to justify my phobia by telling a brief story from my childhood. I was at a science show and while there, the presenter melted a Styrofoam head using some sort of chemical until it was a puddle of white liquid. I likened it to when Dorothy threw that bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West; I figured that the Witch probably melted in a similar fashion. I usually say that witnessing a head-shaped piece of Styrofoam melt like that was a traumatizing experience, but I don’t really think that was the source of my fear. It’s honestly just the feel and sound of Styrofoam, a rather unpleasant sensory discord.
It turns out that I’m not the only one who can’t stand Styrofoam. There are enough people like me out there that there’s a name for the fear of Styrofoam: styrophobia. After doing some research online, I determined that I’m most likely at the medium end. Some people literally break down into tears at the sound of Styrofoam and others can’t even stand the tiny little packing peanuts; I won’t have an anxiety attack because of Styrofoam but my suitemates can definitely confirm that packing peanuts freak me out. I can also tolerate Styrofoam cups or containers to a degree but it’s the big blocks that are the worst. When my family got a new TV, I couldn’t help unpack or set it up because the box that it came in was stuffed with massive blocks of Styrofoam. In an ideal world, Styrofoam would disappear and more people would use bubble wrap instead.
Despite my issue with Styrofoam, there are other good reasons to stop using it. Styrofoam is an environmentally dangerous material and a health hazard. OSHA discovered that producing styrene, a major component in Styrofoam, led to various health complications in the workers such as eye and ear irritation, fatigue, and gastrointestinal effects. Several organizations including the International Agency for Research on Cancer also list styrene as a possible carcinogen, especially because chemicals can leach out into whatever food is inside. Making polystyrene produces enormous amounts of solid and liquid waste and over 50 types chemicals which are released into the air. Styrofoam itself takes up a ton of room in landfills before breaking down into smaller pieces that animals eat but cannot digest, and polystyrene can’t be readily recycled as most recycling companies do not take Styrofoam.
Although I am biased in supporting the end of Styrofoam usage, there are valid reasons to do so. By ceasing to use Styrofoam, we can protect the environment and prevent health issues caused by its production and usage. It is also a boon to those of us who can’t stand the sound or feel of Styrofoam, making packing and unpacking much less of a trial.