how to recycle styrofoam

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. For example, the Styrofoam containers you get from takeaways usually can’t be recycled. How to Recycle Packing Peanuts. Thus, people should avoid throwing them away and instead find ways to recycle the product to minimize the negative impact. What makes it so light is that it is 95% air, which makes it unique for packaging and building materials without adding unnecessary weight. The ease and convenience of using Styrofoam have hurt the environment. Reusing is the best way to keep them out of the trash. So, can "Styrofoam" be recycled? Styrofoam easily breaks into smaller pieces and this presents a choking risk for the animals. Styrofoam is non-biodegradable, so when it is thrown away, it can stay around for many years before it decomposes. Styrofoam recycling is a good business opportunity for you. This is why it is good to know how to recycle Styrofoam. Many EPS products are manufactured for packaging purposes, security and padding during the shipping of fragile products. The product can also be used as floaters during fishing. There’s a lot of ways recycling your old foam packaging is not possible. The styrene material used has health effects, which can impact even the nervous system. Your garbageman will not accept your trash if they see Styrofoam in it. The fabric takes up to 500 years to decompose and requires a complicated system to recycle. With Styrofoam being challenging to recycle this means there are few companies who are doing it in some countries or regions. Styrofoam cannot be recycled with other materials as it requires a different process. To request a Styrofoam™ collection, please submit a Special Recycling Item Request Form or call Customer Service at 425.453.0220. Compactors take the shredded material and compress the foam into tight blocks. Thus, it could be difficult for people to do away with the products. Cats get out… if you’ve ever had one, you know this. When you take the initiative, you should ensure the expanded Polystyrene (EPS) being recycled is clean and free from any contamination. Foam collected from curbside and drop-off recycling programs is being transformed into useful, everyday items like rulers, pens, and picture frames. Here are some ideas for recycling the product. These forms of EPS can then be easily transported to the required factories for reuse into its new EPS products. As mentioned earlier, recyclers don’t recycle it on a large scale. This paste is then cooled into dense blocks. Mail Styrofoam back to the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers (just beware that you’ll have to incur the cost of shipping it, which is relatively minor given how lightweight it is). Make sure to keep your phone standing upright (vertical) when you are tracing it. RT’s clients list include many major electric, apliance, motor, and retailing companies.... - Best Buy How to Recycle Styrofoam. 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. - General Motors Use heating densification, cold crushing or cold compression to reduce the volume of EPS waste, and then re-granulate. Many organizations are making initiatives intending to recycle Styrofoam with the need to collect, store and process the material. Dear Recyclebank: We like to recycle everything possible. #6 (Polystyrene or PS) – Some recycling centers may accept PS, but it’s not common due to the cost of recycling the materials. Recycling Styrofoam is one way of preserving petroleum, leaving it for other applications like fuel. You can even donate to local daycares or other institutions that offer art classes. 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. If nothing is done, then the situation can be worse in the coming years. Recycling industries create jobs that stimulate the growth of the local economy. 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. You can also use the peanuts yourself when packing items to be transported by any means. 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. Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers (AFPR), How to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Shredded Paper, A Guide to Lightbulb Disposal: Get the Brighter Picture, 6 Eco-Friendly Ways to Dispose of Coffee Grounds, Disposing of Biohazardous and Biomedical Waste Properly, How to Buy, Sell and Repair a Garbage Disposal. Tons of Styrofoam are buried in landfills across the world daily. The good news is that polystyrene foam (#6) is technically recyclable. Recycling Styrofoam Peanuts. However, finding an alternative way to cut down its use contributes towards conserving the environment. Recycling Styrofoam Confirm you have plain white Styrofoam. 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. - Hyundai Motors Check out this video on the Styrofoam recycling process. Petroleum is one of the products used to manufacture Styrofoam. Recycling reduces the products present in a landfill, which in turn eliminates choking hazards in animals that seek survival there. Cut out the rectangle that you traced on the cup using a knife or scissors. - Macy’s Many animals search for food in landfills. It tells you what to do and what not to do with recycling shredded paper. Updated on 03/17/2019. 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 at Styrofoam Site Recycling Program. - General Electric They have taken the initiative to collect the product for recycling. These blocks can either be used to create new materials or used as-is in other products such as picture frames. One very common use of expanded polystyrene is in packing peanuts, and they are great for very lightweight, but sturdy packaging protection. RecycleTech has its epuipment installed and running at over 100 client locations throughout U.S. & Canada. Here are some ideas for recycling the product. - Toyota How To Recycle Styrofoam. Create your own beanbag chair stuffing or fill a homemade “draft dodger” with chopped-up … Do Your Part: What Things Can be Recycled? Luckily, many organizations in different countries are embracing recycling as a way of curbing the negative impact of Styrofoam on the environment. In response, some organizations have set up drop-off points in different areas that … For He… We shred and compress Styrofoam (#6 Expanded Polystyrene) into dense logs, making it more cost-effective to transport to recyclers. (screaming, Noooooo! When the bottom line is the biggest concern, asking businesses to payto recycle has rarely offered promising results. Styrofoam cannot be recycled with other materials as it requires a different process. - Samsung Electronics 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. August 24, 2010 / 20 Comments / by stevespanglerscience Tags: acetone, earth-friendly, earth-friendly materials, earth-friendly packing peanuts, nail polish remover, packing peanuts, recycle, reuse, styrene, styrofoam. Styrofoam, foam packing peanuts, and CD cases are among the items made from PS. Consider working with business owners and the government for funding while incorporating consumers to help bring the change. The Process of Styrofoam Recycling . Although, this is challenging given only a few programs and initiatives have embraced it. - Lowes They tend to occupy more space than other waste, presenting a major environmental problem. - Canon Contact your local recycling program to find out about Styrofoam recycling programs or drop off sites in your community. Eco Development, based in Mason, Ohio, is recycling Styrofoam, otherwise known as polystyrene. Other options are using aluminum foil instead of a Styrofoam take-out box, embracing a reusable coffee mug and buying eggs in paper cartons. All these processes create jobs for many people who, in turn, fuel the economy at a local level. It fills more landfills as many companies continue to produce it for packaging purposes. To learn more about how and why to recycle foam, visit Home for Foam. Recycling them can help reduce the percentage of Styrofoam products in a landfill, which currently stands at around 30%. 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! - Home Depot Bringing change to the community can be done through recycling programs. - Kia Motors Recycling polystyrene and Styrofoam involves shredding it, heating it and then putting it under pressure until it forms a paste. The EPS can also be used to craft different projects at home. 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. This densified foam is extruded through a small outlet of the machine, and when cooled, solidifies into what is known as an ingot. Work with other recycling companies to find an appropriate way of collecting, storing and recycling the products. 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. –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". Recycling is a solution to the issue of continued production, despite its ban by some countries. I don’t know about you, but I love when those Omaha Steaks show up on my doorstep. On an industrial scale, Sony Corporation of Japan has been using this process as an environment-friendly method of foam recycling. #6 covers both extruded polystyrene and expanded polystyrene. This melting process is the most efficient, reducing up to 1/90th of its original volume and producing no emissions. How to Recycle your Excess Styrofoam Step 1 Take your Styrofoam out of the trashcan. It is not cost-effective for them to do so. It could be down to it being the wrong grade of polystyrene. 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. 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. One way that is highly recommended is recycling. This will be a good business and can bring huge profits. It is an essential natural resource that, if not taken care of, can get depleted. Styrofoam is made of a chemical and petroleum mixture that makes it just like any other plastic. You can also get free mulch and ReBlend paint for all your spring-cleaning needs. In fact, the product causes air pollution when exposed to sunlight, which in turn depletes the ozone layer and contaminates landfills. This article answers the question, can shredded paper be recycled? 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. In general, the only Styrofoam with a … Consider using newspapers or other easily recyclable plastic materials for padding. It’s important to remember that not all Styrofoam can be recycled. Styrofoam is a mixture of petroleum and chemicals. Since the pandemic began many of us are relying on Styrofoam … Shipping companies, for instance, may reuse peanuts Styrofoam for cushioning fragile products during transportation. Styrofoam Recycling. *Foam recycling is often mistakenly referred to as Styrofoam® recycling. After dropping off your Styrofoam at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center, be sure to check out the ReUse Store to pick up free household cleaners and garden supplies. Since they are lightweight and do not sink, they help anglers to keep an eye on their lines as they wait for a catch. Find a drop-off site for Styrofoam in your area. The Stray Cat Shelter. Typically, those undertaking Styrofoam recycling have done so by operating at a loss — spending around $1,000 to recoup $200 worth of Styrofoam. - Mitsubishi 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 creates a problem and leads to inefficient disposal of Styrofoam which is a dangerous material for the environment. How to Properly Dispose of Hazardous Waste. While it has a #6 recycling symbol on the bottom, that doesn’t mean it’s recyclable through your curbside hauler or even your local recycling center. 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 does harm to the environment despite being a commonly used product in packages. Foam Densifiers transfer the material to a plastic extruder where the foam is exposed to heat and pressure to be melted into a paste. Individuals can recycle small amounts of Styrofoam for free! The process of recycling Styrofoam involves feeding the collected expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam through conveyor belts into a machine that first shreds the material. Drop-off Also called foam #6, plastic #6, or expanded polystyrene (EPS), styrofoam is widely used in many industries because it’s convenient — and cheap. There are facilities that accept packing peanuts for recycling, but if this is not an option, another option is any local shipping store. The process of recycling Styrofoam involves feeding the collected expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam through conveyor belts into a machine that first shreds the material. Polystyrene, also known as styrofoam, can sometimes be recycled in the blue bin for some parts of the country. 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 … Find the drop-off area or contact Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers (AFPR) for guidance. If you look at the bottom of a styrofoam cup, you will likely find a recycle symbol with a number six inside of it. Foam #6 is a thermoplastic, which means that it can be recycled again and again. Here’s everything you need to know about styrofoam recycling — and how you can help make the world a better place with a few simple swaps. Foamed polystyrene (EPS) is marked as plastic #6 on container items like foam cups and take-out boxes. When heated with food products, it emits harmful chemicals that are hazardous to a human when consumed. In 2006, it was reported by The Way To Go Environmental Group that 135 tons were disposed to Hong Kong every day. 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 Recycle Tech manufactures foam densifiers, which uses the safest and most efficient Styrofoam recycling method. - HP 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. Fortunately, they don’t go … Expanded Styrofoam contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer.