The state of polystyrene foam littering in river surface cleaning operations and its solutions

Abstract

Most of the floating garbage in rivers is disposable plastic. And 20% of it is polystyrene foam. Styrofoam is easily blown away by the wind and becomes small, making it difficult to pick up. I am particularly concerned about two types of polystyrene foam: bead-method polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene sheets, which are easily blown away by the wind. At boat storage areas, polystyrene foam is also used as fender floats on the sides of boats, and when a boat hits it, the polystyrene particles fall off. If they become polystyrene particles, it is impossible to pick them up. In the first place, polystyrene foam, which turns into microplastics and pollutes the ocean, should not be used in the ocean. It is used because it is cheap, and in developing countries such as Thailand, it is used in large quantities and is easily discharged into the ocean. I propose imposing an environmental tax and using the tax revenue to subsidize polystyrene substitutes such as marine biodegradable plastics to promote their use.