The fact is that it's often easier and cheaper to produce new polystyrene than it is to collect, transport and process material for recycling You flip it over and there it is, the glorious recycling symbol with a number six inside.Boom – it must be recyclable and in the bin it goes! This is why it is good to know how to recycle Styrofoam. Styrofoam, foam packing peanuts, and CD cases are among the items made from PS. Create your own beanbag chair stuffing or fill a homemade “draft dodger” with chopped-up … This process reduces the volume of the foam by up to 1/50th of its original volume, and turns the Styrofoam into neat and dense blocks. This creates a problem and leads to inefficient disposal of Styrofoam which is a dangerous material for the environment. Find a drop-off site for Styrofoam in your area. The process of recycling Styrofoam involves feeding the collected expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam through conveyor belts into a machine that first shreds the material. The Process of Styrofoam Recycling . Polystyrene, also known as styrofoam, can sometimes be recycled in the blue bin for some parts of the country. If you are within the southern parts of the U.S., then Styrofoam products can be dropped in the Publix chain of the grocery store. This will be a good business and can bring huge profits. If you get take out, pick up eggs from the grocery store or receive packages in the mail, you most likely end up with what you think is “Styrofoam.”So, now that you have this so called “Styrofoam,” what do you do with it?You have possibly heard it is not recyclable, but you have also heard it lasts forever in a landfill. Styrofoam Recycling. To request a Styrofoam™ collection, please submit a Special Recycling Item Request Form or call Customer Service at 425.453.0220. One very common use of expanded polystyrene is in packing peanuts, and they are great for very lightweight, but sturdy packaging protection. Also called foam #6, plastic #6, or expanded polystyrene (EPS), styrofoam is widely used in many industries because it’s convenient — and cheap. RecycleTech has its epuipment installed and running at over 100 client locations throughout U.S. & Canada. This paste is then cooled into dense blocks. Recycling them can help reduce the percentage of Styrofoam products in a landfill, which currently stands at around 30%. Because Styrofoam needs to be recycled at specialized facilities, you need to find a drop-off location rather than setting it out with your regular recyclables. Shipping companies, for instance, may reuse peanuts Styrofoam for cushioning fragile products during transportation. There’s a lot of ways recycling your old foam packaging is not possible. It’s important to remember that not all Styrofoam can be recycled. You can even donate to local daycares or other institutions that offer art classes. It fills more landfills as many companies continue to produce it for packaging purposes. - Mitsubishi The product can also be used as floaters during fishing. How to Recycle Styrofoam. The ease and convenience of using Styrofoam have hurt the environment. Another method is using a liquid hydrocarbon known as Limonene, which can be extracted from citrus fruits, to dissolve the foam. In fact, the product causes air pollution when exposed to sunlight, which in turn depletes the ozone layer and contaminates landfills. Styrofoam, he learned, couldn’t be recycled like some other forms of plastic, and it can take up to 500 years to break down — hence why it takes up around 30% of global landfill space.So Clay, along with his friends Ashton Cofer and Julia Bray, decided to find a way to repurpose it. #6 covers both extruded polystyrene and expanded polystyrene. For example, the Styrofoam containers you get from takeaways usually can’t be recycled. Eco Development, based in Mason, Ohio, is recycling Styrofoam, otherwise known as polystyrene. Reusing is the best way to keep them out of the trash. How to Properly Dispose of Hazardous Waste. Many EPS products are manufactured for packaging purposes, security and padding during the shipping of fragile products. RT’s clients list include many major electric, apliance, motor, and retailing companies.... - Best Buy - General Motors But some cities have facilities where they do their best to repurpose EPS, and some include drop-off centers where you can take your discarded styrofoam. Your garbageman will not accept your trash if they see Styrofoam in it. - HP When you take the initiative, you should ensure the expanded Polystyrene (EPS) being recycled is clean and free from any contamination. Styrofoam does harm to the environment despite being a commonly used product in packages. All these processes create jobs for many people who, in turn, fuel the economy at a local level. Compactors take the shredded material and compress the foam into tight blocks. This article answers the question, can shredded paper be recycled? If your local government has a curbside recycling program that has this specialized equipment, then you can simply put your Styrofoam in the recycling bin. In response, some organizations have set up drop-off points in different areas that can be used to collect the Styrofoam for recycling. The good news is that polystyrene foam (#6) is technically recyclable. Recycling industries create jobs that stimulate the growth of the local economy. How to Recycle your Excess Styrofoam Step 1 Take your Styrofoam out of the trashcan. Reducing space covered by Styrofoam waste is also a way of protecting the land. Styrofoam is made of a chemical and petroleum mixture that makes it just like any other plastic. Recycling reduces the products present in a landfill, which in turn eliminates choking hazards in animals that seek survival there. Styrofoam is a mixture of petroleum and chemicals. Updated on 03/17/2019. How To Recycle Styrofoam. On an industrial scale, Sony Corporation of Japan has been using this process as an environment-friendly method of foam recycling. This densified foam is extruded through a small outlet of the machine, and when cooled, solidifies into what is known as an ingot. Reusing styrofoam is another earth-friendly way to use styrofoam, but recycling it is not possible. The product should thus be recycled to avoid serious environmental and health issues. They are lightweight and are easy to carve and paint, which makes them functional pieces for art projects, even for children. Typically, those undertaking Styrofoam recycling have done so by operating at a loss — spending around $1,000 to recoup $200 worth of Styrofoam. Here are some ideas for recycling the product. Do Your Part: What Things Can be Recycled? Recycling is a solution to the issue of continued production, despite its ban by some countries. Please NO: Grey “Insta-Paks” Styrofoam™ packing peanuts; To dispose of Styrofoam™ packing peanuts, bag and place in your garbage cart or drop off at a mailing specialty store for reuse. Expanded Styrofoam contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. It is an essential natural resource that, if not taken care of, can get depleted. Styrofoam is non-biodegradable, so when it is thrown away, it can stay around for many years before it decomposes. (screaming, Noooooo! Drop Off at Styrofoam Site Recycling Program. Drop-off Styrofoam easily breaks into smaller pieces and this presents a choking risk for the animals. We shred and compress Styrofoam (#6 Expanded Polystyrene) into dense logs, making it more cost-effective to transport to recyclers. Work with other recycling companies to find an appropriate way of collecting, storing and recycling the products. - Canon Another reason why Styrofoam is difficult to recycle is because it’s a number 6 plastic, which means that it requires specialized equipment to be broken down successfully. - General Electric Dear Recyclebank: We like to recycle everything possible. - Hyundai Motors - Home Depot By using widely available compactors specifically designed for foam (known as “densifiers”), you can load 40,000 pounds of foam on a 48-foot trailer to transport the material to a … Recycle Tech manufactures foam densifiers, which uses the safest and most efficient Styrofoam recycling method. Foam collected from curbside and drop-off recycling programs is being transformed into useful, everyday items like rulers, pens, and picture frames. These blocks can either be used to create new materials or used as-is in other products such as picture frames. 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