Polystyrene, as one of the most common types of plastics, is used in a wide variety of applications – from appliances packaging to take-out food containers to building insulation. How come when done using it? Throwing away? You are everyman. It is estimated that 30% of the total solid waste volume dumped in landfills is polystyrene. Taking polystyrene as unrecyclable, many people feel land filling is the best destination for polystyrene, which is totally wrong.
Firstly, polystyrene is lightweight. A 53’ truck can only load 2000 lbs polystyrene, which makes transportation to landfill spot a huge cost. Compared to its weight, volume is a greater problem. It always is a headache for every resident and when comes to landfill, it is a waste of land resources. The worst thing is that it would take forever to degrade! Contamination issues are aroused then. Landfill is definitely not a wise measure as it is a waste of funds and land resources and does harm to the environment.
Do we have other options? Exactly—recycle it! Polystyrene can be reused to make products as picture frame, skirting and even pens. This is its only best destination. There are some recycling companies who already collect the scrap polystyrene and have it picked up by those companies who reuse it as raw material to do production. However, polystyrene is not widely accepted by recyclers. We still have long way to go—for nature, and for human self.