Yes, You Can Recycle Styrofoam

As bans on single-use plastic bags and straws gain momentum around the world, attention is now focused on another powerful foe of environmental protection: Styrofoam. Styrofoam is a major concern for the health of aquatic life and the health of the planet in general, which is not surprising given that it is made up of thousands of pieces of non-biodegradable plastic.

Although this material is less common in the enterprises for processing , than paper or plastic due to high costs and energy required for its processing, with a little extra effort, you can still recycle styrofoam, if you find that you have a stray cups or containers for taking out. So how do you ethically get rid of the awful foam?

The basics

First, it is a common misconception that all of these packaging materials, disposable cups and plates are made of Styrofoam. In fact, all of this material is called polystyrene foam. Styrofoam is similar, although less flexible, and is used for insulation and construction (and is usually blue rather than white).

Styrofoam has become a generic term used to accurately or imprecisely describe all Styrofoam products. For the purposes of this article, we will refer to all EPS products.

As with any recyclable material, it is important to know a few basics before disposal:

  • Most Styrofoam products are identified by the number “6” stamped on them (hence, they are otherwise referred to as # 6 plastic products).
  • Contaminated or dirty styrofoam products (eg food contact) can be more difficult to recycle. It is most likely best to quickly rinse all food containers with water.
  • Sometimes the different colors of the styrofoam matter. Some institutions may reject them or require them to be separated by color.

Consult your local recycling program

If you want to recycle some Styrofoam products, the natural first step is to search the internet for a recycling program in your city and / or contact them to see if they accept this type of waste. be sure to ask how the Styrofoam collection works. They may require that they be segregated from other recyclable materials. San Diego , California and Greensboro, North Carolina are just a few examples of cities that offer the ability to recycle Styrofoam materials.

While drop-off points may accept them, these pesky packaging peanuts are more difficult to recycle. Most packaging peanuts are made from Styrofoam, but some companies have used cornstarch to create a biodegradable alternative that is nearly identical to the Styrofoam version. Accordingly, some businesses may refuse to recycle peanuts simply for fear of contamination of others with EPS.

If your local peanut processor does not accept it, please contact your local UPS store to see if they accept it for reuse.

Throw it in the center closest to you

If you are unsure if your recycling program accepts EPS (or if you find that it is not), do the following and take your EPS products to the nearest recycling center that accepts the problem material. On the Earth911 website , you can find a facility near you that accepts Styrofoam and other recyclable materials.

What’s the difference?

We all have to! The US is currently plunging headlong into literal rubbish; China, one of the largest importers of our recyclable materials, recently banned the import of our waste, resulting in an influx of waste remaining in our landfills.

Accordingly, now we should all be aware of our impact on the environment more than ever. While careful consideration of our own use of EPS is an important first step, broader policy responses are also critical to addressing this issue. So when you’re done recycling your own styrofoam, consider lobbying for a ban on local elected officials if your hometown doesn’t already have one.

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