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Is Polystyrene Recyclable?
Is Polystyrene Recyclable?
If you’ve ever bought any sort of large delicate object online, or been to a local fast food restaurant, the chances are you’ve come across polystyrene. Like most plastics, polystyrene poses a problem for our planet. According to a study carried out by Washington University, polystyrene can take over 500 years to decompose, which leaves us with one option: recycling.
Today, we’re going to be covering the different types of polystyrene, and whether or not recycling it is an option.
What is polystyrene?
Polystyrene is an extremely versatile kind of plastic that comes in two forms, solid and foamed. Derived from styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon, polystyrene is a naturally transparent plastic that can be easily changed with colourants.
Polystyrene is used to create a wide variety of everyday items, such as:
- Coffee cups
- Packaging materials
- Egg boxes
- Takeaway food packaging
- Yoghurt pots
Expanded/foamed polystyrene
While both types of polystyrene, solid and foamed, are lightweight, foamed polystyrene tends to be used for packaging and heating applications, such as the protection of electrical goods and building insulation. Normal polystyrene, on the other hand, is used for things like yoghurt pots and takeaway coffee cups.
Is polystyrene recyclable?
Unfortunately, at the moment, polystyrene is still not widely recycled, but oddly it is 100% recyclable. While there are some specialist companies and schemes that do offer a polystyrene recycling service, it’s exceedingly rare to find a kerbside collection scheme that takes polystyrene to be recycled, which is why it often ends up in the rubbish bin and, in turn, landfill.
Tips on how to upcycle polystyrene
While polystyrene is easy to break down, it’s actually more durable than you would think when treated properly. Here are some quickfire ideas to get you started with upcycling polystyrene:
- Defrosting your fridge? Pop your frozen goods in a polystyrene container.
- Keep your food and drinks cool on a picnic with polystyrene packaging.
- Use polystyrene trays to germinate seeds and grow root vegetables.
- Create a little hedgebox house using a polystyrene box. All you have to do is decorate it to make it more inviting and then place it in your garden!
Sustainable alternatives to polystyrene
If you want to help combat the production of single-use polystyrene, the most impactful thing you can do right now is to buy a reusable coffee cup and take it with you everywhere. Whether you’re in a coffee shop, at a music festival, a business convention – if you always have your coffee cup handy, then that’s one less polystyrene cup that gets used then thrown away.
Want to learn more about plastic recycling? Here at Brown Recycling, we can recycle a wide variety of different types of plastic, including low-density polyethylene and PVC. If you have any concerns about which types of plastic can or can’t be recycled, all you have to do is give us a call or get in touch online and our friendly team would be happy to help.
Got any burning questions?
You can ask us a question online using our contact form. Simply provide your name, email (purely for confirmation purposes) and the details of your enquiry, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Why choose Browns Recycling?
- Paper, Plastic & more recycled
- Dedicated recycling centre
- Aim for zero waste to landfill
What our clients say about us
“We are hugely grateful to Brown Recycling for their help on DIY SOS: The Big Build in Stoke. Dave and the team went above and beyond to clear the site and then bring in other suppliers who also supported this great cause. Thanks to the generosity of countless suppliers and volunteers, Stoke now has a community centre that will support its residents for many years to come.”
Read more testimonials
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Excellent service on a recent Hazardous waste removal from one of our sites. Paddy and Stacey wasted no time in arranging for our waste to be removed in surprisingly quick turnaround. 10/10...
1 week ago -
Hired a skip to clear a huge pile of garden waste. Arrived on time, picked up bang on time, dead easy to book and pay. Courteous, helpful drivers. Job done! just as it should be, without drama. Highly...
1 month ago -
Very professional service and the customer service team are very helpful and knowledgeable. We have been working with browns and using their services for a number of years and cannot fault it. Very co...
1 month ago -
Terry was very efficient. We will use brown for skips again...
2 months ago -
Had problems with getting the skip into our drive but Browns persisted and 3 trucks later the 3rd driver got the job done. Incredible service from a very professional and competent company. Special me...
2 months ago -
Really efficient service, competitive price and they dropped off skip exactly where we asked them to. Easy to book a skip over the weekend using their online booking system. Very helpful when we nee...
3 months ago -
I ordered a skip at short notice and it arrived as requested. Having finished with it early Terry came and collected it very promptly which freed up the driveway. A Good service and reasonably priced....
3 months ago -
Brilliant service - I booked for the wrong date, but Browns were really helpful and changed the booking at the last minute....
4 months ago -
We chose Brown Recycling because out of the firms we rang the lady on the end of the phone knew exactly what we needed and was very helpful. ( Yes you can place a skip in a council paying car park) A...
5 months ago -
A big thanks to Phil, always helpful and polite when collecting cardboard, nothing too much trouble ....
5 months ago -
Christie has been great in providing us with a total review of our waste services on site. If you are looking at reviewing your waste service then I would highly recommend that you reach out to her as...
6 months ago -
really fast and a easy process. Thank you Christie...
6 months ago -
Christie has been most helpful and informative whilst booking a new service for plastic and general waste recycling. Would recommend :)...
6 months ago -
Christie was very helpful, she managed the whole process very efficiently and met our expectations. We now have the service and commercial offering we need for our business waste. We would recommend...
9 months ago -
Quick and really reliable service.... was a pleasure dealing with Christie!!!...
9 months ago -
Requested amendment to current waste collection. Very helpful and was able to answer all queries and adapt to our requirements. Definitely recommend...
10 months ago -
We had a visit today from Mark and Andy dropping off our new waste bin. I would just like to acknowledge their outstanding customer service. They disposed of the built up waste that we had gathered si...
11 months ago -
Full marks to Andy and Mark. Went above and beyond today and would highly recommend them to anybody looking to recycle large quantities of waste. Professional, efficient and very approachable...
11 months ago -
First time using Browns, they were clear, efficient and got the job done. Will continue to use their services....
1 year ago -
New to sorting a bin service for our new business. Christie and Brown Recyling has been great with helping us select the right type of bin required as well as not overspending for the sake of it. He...
1 year ago -
Super easy to set up a long term skip hire, Christie made things nice and clear and the prices were good too! everything was ready to go really quick, highly recommend Browns...
1 year ago