Save the Fish
Foam cup: how long does it take to break down in the sea?
Estimated time to break down in the sea: > 50 years. Source: US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (bsee.gov).
Foam cup: why is it harmful to the sea?
Crumbles into foam beads that animals mistake for food.
Foam cup: does it really disappear?
No. Foam crumbles into tiny beads that float, spread far and look like food to fish and birds.
Foam cup: how harmful is it compared with other trash?
Harm score 7 out of 10: lasts 3/4, toxic 2/3, wildlife 2/3. It ranks 13 of 31 on our list. This score is our own simple scale for comparing items in the game. It is not an official index.
Foam cup: what is it made of?
Material: Polystyrene foam (Styrofoam). A typical one is about 10 cm long and weighs about 5 g.
Foam cup: what can I do?
Say no to foam boxes and cups; bring your own cup for takeaway drinks.
Foam cup: what lasts longer, and what breaks down sooner?
Lasts longer: Rubber boot sole, Foam buoy, Plastic bag. Breaks down sooner: Foam food box, Candy wrapper, Ice cream stick.
Foam cup: where does this figure come from?
From “Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation”, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Northwest District), information sourced from the US Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program. Checked on 2026-10-03.
The source's limits (in English): Approximate times printed on an educational poster. Real breakdown depends on sunlight, temperature, oxygen and microbes; plastics fragment into microplastics rather than disappear.