Polystyrene, a form of plastic, finds usefulness in many items around us. The material makes up your disposable coffee cups, foam trays, food packages and packages for electronic devices like the TV, DVDs, refrigerator, etc.
Although polystyrene is quite useful, its disposal poses a problem. Decomposition takes about 500 years, and improper disposal releases toxic substances into the environment. The problematic situation posed by this substance raises the question, “is polystyrene recyclable?”
Below, we’ll answer this question. Let’s dive in!
Dangers of Improper Polystyrene Disposal
Polystyrene recycling isn’t as smooth-sailing as other plastics. Specific organizations sort it out of the general collection and move them to the landfill. You can find individuals littering polystyrene material instead of trashing them in a plastic bin with a lid. Also, you’ll find folks who opt to burn polystyrene.
When polystyrene disposal isn’t handled correctly, the following problems arise:
- Ingestion by animals
- Leaching of chemicals into the soil and run-off water
- Release of toxic chemicals like carbon monoxide, styrene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are detrimental to the health
How to Manage Polystyrene Waste
Assuming you’re wondering, “is polystyrene recyclable?” The answer is yes, but recycling polystyrene isn’t a walk in the pack. Therefore, certain establishments don’t handle it. But you’ll find some centres catering to polystyrene recycling in Sydney.
With Polystyrene waste, you can explore any of these measures:
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Recycling
It’s possible to recycle polystyrene. However, you may struggle to find centres offering the service. The challenge stems from the unavailability of the necessary advanced technology and processes in most recycling centres.
Consequently, you’ll meet several organizations that reject polystyrene. Nonetheless, with a proper search, you can find one or more centres in your city.
Additionally, challenges with recycling polystyrene are uncommon with expandable polystyrene due to its lightweight.
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Reuse
Sometimes, the answer to the “is polystyrene recyclable” query takes a different direction. Besides recycling, you can repurpose your polystyrene waste. Therefore, you can decide not to recycle or dispose of polystyrene and use it for other purposes.
Reusing Polystyrene
While we’ve answered the “is polystyrene recyclable” query, numerous avenues are available for reusing polystyrene accumulated in the home or office. Here are options you can explore:
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Glue
Instead of disposing of polystyrene and wondering if it ended up in recycling or a landfill, you can put it inside a bottle and add some orange oil. The result is a suitable adhesive you can use around the house and save costs.
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Packaging
Electronic devices are often fragile and prone to damage. Thus, most interactions include polystyrene in their packages for protection. You can keep reusing polystyrene for this purpose. Using polystyrene to package your gadgets is beneficial, particularly when relocating to a new apartment.
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Coolant
Suppose you brought drinks along on an outdoor activity to lounge with your friends and need the drinks to remain cold. In that case, you can put some polystyrene on the ice cubes to keep the drinks cool for a little longer. Due to its poor heat conduction, the polystyrene will slow heat transfer, keeping the drinks cool.
Besides these alternatives, you can use the polystyrene to stuff your pillows, create drainages for pot plants and as part of an artwork.
Final Words
Polystyrene is a problematic material to degrade. Hence, the material must be amenable to recycling. Since the necessary technology isn’t always available in most recycling centres, you’ll have to seek out suitable establishments in your city carefully.
Conversely, you can use polystyrene for other purposes to beat the uncertainty of recycling or dumping polystyrene in a landfill. Doing this limits the inappropriate disposal of polystyrene waste, which has adverse consequences.
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