Introduction
We were recently hired by starshock cofee to find out if plastic, paper, or styrofoam cups are the best for the enviornment. We decided to investigate incineration and the pollution it causes. There are many negative effects of incineration. The incinerator ashes, which are contaminated with heavy metals, unburned chemicals and new chemicals formed during the burning process, are then buried in landfill or dumped in the environment. Therefore, instead of making waste disappear, incinerators create even more toxic waste that poses a significant threat to public health and the environment (http://www.natracare.com/p148/en-GB/Our-Environment/Sanitary-Waste/Incineration.aspx). If plants have inadequate controls, these outputs may add a significant pollution component to stack emissions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incineration). Burning waste in incinerators only reduces the volume of solid waste; it does not dispose of the toxic substances contained in the waste. Worse still, the process of incineration creates the largest source of dioxins, which is one of the most toxic chemicals known to science (http://www.natracare.com/p148/en-GB/Our-Environment/Sanitary-Waste/Incineration.aspx). Besides the enviornment issues they have on the earth they all have health issues that could possibly effect you. Plastic has a very harmful chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) that is known to effect your reproduction system and brain development (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/23/don-t-put-your-coffee-in-plastic-bottles.aspx). It is also found in 95% of peoples urine. (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/23/don-t-put-your-coffee-in-plastic-bottles.aspx). Paper is a lot more benifitial for your health, but it is coated in polyethene which is a plastic (http://www.ehow.com/list_6612132_human-health-concerns-paper-cups.html).Like plastic, styrofoam cups are made from a plastic known as polystyrene. (http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/polystyrene-stryrofoam-cups-460529).