Polystyrene is not necessarily a waste product we come across every day, but, when we do find it within packaging, it is often on a relatively large scale, for example as padding around a new appliance. Polystyrene recycling is therefore something we should be aware of for those occasions when we would otherwise fill up our dustbin with this waste material. As polystyrene recycling is not available via local authority collection, it is not as simple as the recycling of some waste products.
Polystyrene recycling can be achieved quite easily in a couple of different ways. Polystyrene can, for example, be ground down and used as a soil conditioner which will improve drainage and aeration. Alternatively it can be remoulded into new polystyrene products, or recycled to produce new products entirely. Recycled polystyrene can be used as a hardwood replacement for garden furniture, slate replacement for roof tiles, concrete replacement for building materials, or as new plastic items such as coat hangars or CD cases.
The nature of polystyrene is such that it is not considered to be toxic in a landfill situation and is non-biodegradable, but nevertheless landfill should always be a last resort for any waste. In addition, as polystyrene is made from oil, polystyrene recycling means that less of this raw material is required for new products.
In the UK there are only a small number of consumer recycling points for polystyrene, although there are other options available for businesses with high volumes of polystyrene waste. Check out The Expanded Polystyrene Packaging Group website for more information. You could also consider whether you can reuse the polystyrene yourself, for example within the garden for drainage. Check out the How Can I Recycle This? website for more ideas.
