Also called foam #6, plastic #6, or expanded polystyrene (EPS), styrofoam is widely used in many industries because it’s convenient — and cheap. Expanded Styrofoam contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. On an industrial scale, Sony Corporation of Japan has been using this process as an environment-friendly method of foam recycling. In general, the only Styrofoam with a … Dear Recyclebank: We like to recycle everything possible. This will be a good business and can bring huge profits. They tend to occupy more space than other waste, presenting a major environmental problem. Although, this is challenging given only a few programs and initiatives have embraced it. The fabric takes up to 500 years to decompose and requires a complicated system to recycle. *Foam recycling is often mistakenly referred to as Styrofoam® recycling. You can also use the peanuts yourself when packing items to be transported by any means. - General Electric - Lowes Styrofoam can be reused while reducing its use altogether. This is one example where Styrofoam recycling may be a viable option. Here are some ideas for recycling the product. You can invest in professional Styrofoam recycling equipment, collect the foam waste in the area, compress it, and sell it at twice the price to local recyclers or granulation plant. #6 covers both extruded polystyrene and expanded polystyrene. Styrofoam is non-biodegradable, so when it is thrown away, it can stay around for many years before it decomposes. - Macy’s - Sears, Copyright 2016 RecycleTech Corp. | All Rights Reserved. This is why it is good to know how to recycle Styrofoam. Make sure to keep your phone standing upright (vertical) when you are tracing it. For He… Use heating densification, cold crushing or cold compression to reduce the volume of EPS waste, and then re-granulate. The bad news is that many communities require a dropoff at a special location that recycles these items, or do not collect polystyrene foam products for recycling at all. Contact your local recycling program to find out about Styrofoam recycling programs or drop off sites in your community. The polystyrene industry claims a recycling rate of about 12 percent, according to the Alliance for Foam Packaging Recycling, but that includes scraps from EPS manufacturing, which are immediately reused. These forms of EPS can then be easily transported to the required factories for reuse into its new EPS products. One way that is highly recommended is recycling. Other options are using aluminum foil instead of a Styrofoam take-out box, embracing a reusable coffee mug and buying eggs in paper cartons. Eco Development, based in Mason, Ohio, is recycling Styrofoam, otherwise known as polystyrene. Although not the most efficient, compacting the foam through this method makes for easy transportation of the material. The styrene material used has health effects, which can impact even the nervous system. These blocks can either be used to create new materials or used as-is in other products such as picture frames. The process of recycling Styrofoam involves feeding the collected expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam through conveyor belts into a machine that first shreds the material. How to Properly Dispose of Hazardous Waste. Polystyrene, also known as styrofoam, can sometimes be recycled in the blue bin for some parts of the country. One very common use of expanded polystyrene is in packing peanuts, and they are great for very lightweight, but sturdy packaging protection. Check your area for recycling programs and preserve the environment. Many EPS products are manufactured for packaging purposes, security and padding during the shipping of fragile products. Find a drop-off site for Styrofoam in your area. Recycling Styrofoam Confirm you have plain white Styrofoam. 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. RT’s clients list include many major electric, apliance, motor, and retailing companies.... - Best Buy Recycling industries create jobs that stimulate the growth of the local economy. How to Recycle Packing Peanuts. Petroleum is one of the products used to manufacture Styrofoam. When you take the initiative, you should ensure the expanded Polystyrene (EPS) being recycled is clean and free from any contamination. Updated on 03/17/2019. The good news is that polystyrene foam (#6) is technically recyclable. The ease and convenience of using Styrofoam have hurt the environment. For example, the Styrofoam containers you get from takeaways usually can’t be recycled. They are lightweight and are easy to carve and paint, which makes them functional pieces for art projects, even for children. The packing peanuts (you may know them as “popcorn”) used to protect shipped materials from damage are made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), which most of us mistakenly confuse with the Dow Chemical Company trademarked name Styrofoam. Drop-off As a responsible person, one should embrace the techniques highlighted above to help in reducing the effects of EPS caused when they are thrown away instead of recycling. What makes it so light is that it is 95% air, which makes it unique for packaging and building materials without adding unnecessary weight. It is not cost-effective for them to do so. Reusing is the best way to keep them out of the trash. The product can also be used as floaters during fishing. 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. - Mitsubishi Styrofoam cannot be recycled with other materials as it requires a different process. Styrofoam recycling is not very popular. If you look at the bottom of a styrofoam cup, you will likely find a recycle symbol with a number six inside of it. You can also get free mulch and ReBlend paint for all your spring-cleaning needs. - Kia Motors With Styrofoam being challenging to recycle this means there are few companies who are doing it in some countries or regions. Shipping companies, for instance, may reuse peanuts Styrofoam for cushioning fragile products during transportation. Many animals search for food in landfills. Consider working with business owners and the government for funding while incorporating consumers to help bring the change. 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. In fact, the product causes air pollution when exposed to sunlight, which in turn depletes the ozone layer and contaminates landfills. This creates a problem and leads to inefficient disposal of Styrofoam which is a dangerous material for the environment. Compactors take the shredded material and compress the foam into tight blocks. - Home Depot This strategy may work in the short term for not-for-profit organizations like municipal recycling facilities, but getting businesses on board has always been a hard sell. The Process of Styrofoam Recycling . We shred and compress Styrofoam (#6 Expanded Polystyrene) into dense logs, making it more cost-effective to transport to recyclers. 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. Typically, those undertaking Styrofoam recycling have done so by operating at a loss — spending around $1,000 to recoup $200 worth of Styrofoam. Another method is using a liquid hydrocarbon known as Limonene, which can be extracted from citrus fruits, to dissolve the foam. 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 densified foam is extruded through a small outlet of the machine, and when cooled, solidifies into what is known as an ingot. To request a Styrofoam™ collection, please submit a Special Recycling Item Request Form or call Customer Service at 425.453.0220. RecycleTech has its epuipment installed and running at over 100 client locations throughout U.S. & Canada. 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. Work with other recycling companies to find an appropriate way of collecting, storing and recycling the products. Reusing styrofoam is another earth-friendly way to use styrofoam, but recycling it is not possible. Find the drop-off area or contact Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers (AFPR) for guidance. To learn more about how and why to recycle foam, visit Home for Foam. It tells you what to do and what not to do with recycling shredded paper. Styrofoam, foam packing peanuts, and CD cases are among the items made from PS. Recycle Tech manufactures foam densifiers, which uses the safest and most efficient Styrofoam recycling method. Styrofoam Recycling Ideas . Your garbageman will not accept your trash if they see Styrofoam in it. When heated with food products, it emits harmful chemicals that are hazardous to a human when consumed. Here are some ideas for recycling the product. Foam Densifiers transfer the material to a plastic extruder where the foam is exposed to heat and pressure to be melted into a paste. Do Your Part: What Things Can be Recycled? It fills more landfills as many companies continue to produce it for packaging purposes. Individuals can recycle small amounts of Styrofoam for free! There are facilities that accept packing peanuts for recycling, but if this is not an option, another option is any local shipping store. –Charles B. Dear Charles: It's uncommon for waste haulers to accept foamed polystyrene, or EPS, which is commonly (but incorrectly) referred to as "Styrofoam". Thus, it could be difficult for people to do away with the products. The fact that the Styrofoam is non-biodegradable has caused many countries to think about the ways to reduce its impact on health and the environment. This paste is then cooled into dense blocks. - Canon Cats get out… if you’ve ever had one, you know this. In response, some organizations have set up drop-off points in different areas that … Recycling Styrofoam Peanuts. Some businesses collect the packaging so that they can reuse them. Since styrofoam isn't biodegradable, almost no municipalities accept it with the other materials that you might include in your recycling, such as aluminum cans or glass bottles. - HP Recycling polystyrene and Styrofoam involves shredding it, heating it and then putting it under pressure until it forms a paste. Foam collected from curbside and drop-off recycling programs is being transformed into useful, everyday items like rulers, pens, and picture frames. Here’s how to do it: Use a pen or pencil to trace the base of your phone (where the speaker is) onto the side of a styrofoam cup. 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. 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. This article answers the question, can shredded paper be recycled? As mentioned earlier, recyclers don’t recycle it on a large scale. Styrofoam easily breaks into smaller pieces and this presents a choking risk for the animals. Check out this video on the Styrofoam recycling process. Tons of Styrofoam are buried in landfills across the world daily. Since the pandemic began many of us are relying on Styrofoam … - Toyota Create your own beanbag chair stuffing or fill a homemade “draft dodger” with chopped-up … - Hyundai Motors You can even donate to local daycares or other institutions that offer art classes. - Samsung Electronics Luckily, many organizations in different countries are embracing recycling as a way of curbing the negative impact of Styrofoam on the environment. Fortunately, they don’t go … So, can "Styrofoam" be recycled? Recycling reduces the products present in a landfill, which in turn eliminates choking hazards in animals that seek survival there. The EPS can also be used to craft different projects at home. How to Recycle Styrofoam. Styrofoam does harm to the environment despite being a commonly used product in packages. Drop Off at Styrofoam Site Recycling Program. Thus, people should avoid throwing them away and instead find ways to recycle the product to minimize the negative impact. 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