Unfortunately, styrofoam recycling is more expensive than making new materials from scratch, so many businesses still don’t bother. These blocks can either be used to create new materials or used as-is in other products such as picture frames. This paste is then cooled into dense blocks. Recycling polystyrene and Styrofoam involves shredding it, heating it and then putting it under pressure until it forms a paste. As a plastic, Styrofoam is produced using petroleum the production of petroleum has a significant environmental impact because it creates a lot of pollution.įinally, the sheer volume of Styrofoam and other polystyrenes is a problem for disposal these plastics might only make up 1% of waste by weight, but they take up 30% of the space. These are less damaging to the Ozone Layer than CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons), but still a cause for concern. Styrofoam waste often ends up in the sea, where the packing peanuts, food containers, trays, and disposable cups become one of the main causes of marine debris.Īdditionally, Styrofoam production uses HFCS (Hydrofluorocarbons). Styrofoam is bad for the environment because it is non-biodegradable and because it floats. Why Is Styrofoam Bad For The Environment? You can spot recyclable Styrofoam products by looking out for the #6 plastics logo: Most other polystyrenes are Expanded Polystyrenes, or EPS – you’ll recognize these as the white packaging material made up of many small beads bonded together, but it’s also used for cups, as insulation, and even in surfboards. It is typically blue and primarily used in the building industry for insulation.
Although Styrofoam is often used as a catch-all name for all Polystyrene, it is actually a specific brand of Extruded Polystyrene, or XPS. Styrofoam is a trademarked name for one type of Polystyrene and a part of the Number 6 plastics group. It is useful to understand what Styrofoam is because the recycling schemes that accept it can be picky about what they’ll take: Because of this, it is often better to reuse Styrofoam or, better yet, avoid using it in the first place. Additionally, Styrofoam that is contaminated with food, drink, or other materials may not be suitable for recycling. Yes, Styrofoam can be recycled, but relatively few local schemes accept it.
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