Polystyrene Recycling
Polystyrene is renowned for its qualities as a packaging material, such as its light weight and the ease with which it is produced. It can however sometimes prove problematic when it needs to be disposed of. As it is such a commonly used material, and large quantities of it are generally employed at once in the delivery and storage of goods, it would quickly fill up a skip if it was to be simply thrown away, which would rack up large costs for any polystyrene disposal company. Hundreds of thousands of tons of polystyrene are sent to landfill each year in the UK, and obviously this is not sustainable when one considers the sheer volume of space that would be needed to maintain the practice. Even though polystyrene is considered to be non-toxic, it is still non-biodegradable and thus landfills should not be used as the main method of disposal. Polystyrene is 100% recyclable, whether considering pure polystyrene recycling or expanded polystyrene recycling, and this quality should be exploited in order to find more environmentally friendly ways to recycle polystyrene.
Recycle Polystyrene
Polystyrene and polystyrene packaging recycling is carried out on a number of scales, from the industrial to the personal. On an industrial scale, lorries transport large amounts of polystyrene to recycling plants, where machines sort the polystyrene from other waste debris and material. Items such as CD cases will be sorted and then ground down into polystyrene fluff. If the material is contaminated with waste, it is thoroughly cleaned before processing. The polystyrene fluff is then compressed under heat and pressure to remove all the air, before it is forced through a grill that turns it into several long, thin strands of fresh polystyrene. These strands are finally chopped up and shipped off to the manufactures, who will subsequently reform it into CD cases and other products.
The cost of this process is prohibitive, however, which limits the number of industrial polystyrene recyclers. There are a number of products available on the market now that are much more efficient in polystyrene and Styrofoam recycling. The inventors of these products and services were faced with the question 'can you recycle polystyrene?' while still keeping the process economically viable. One such product is the Styromelt, which works by melting used Styrofoam to form a dense block of material that is massively reduced in volume from the original. This makes storage, transport, and ultimately recycling of polystyrene much easier and more cost effective.
Packaging Recycling
A machine with a similar process is available in Australia, known as the Hungry Giant. This makes recycling polystyrene packaging much easier by squashing the polystyrene or Styrofoam into small solid blocks. This is possible because polystyrene is composed of 98% air.
Home Polystyrene Recycling
Polystyrene can also be ground down to be used as a conditioner for soil, with the benefits of increased aeration and drainage. On a much smaller scale than the industrial processes mentioned above, some individuals recycle the polystyrene waste their households produce by using it to make various items, such as covering a block of polystyrene in fabric in order to make a floating bath pillow. The polystyrene can also be dissolved in a high quality organic solvent, which produces a paste that has excellent adhesive qualities.