Styrofoam Recycling Comprehensive Guide
Styrofoam is virtually ubiquitous in our today’s world and most people are not even aware that you can make money from Styrofoam recycling.
Perhaps you might be wondering: “what is Styrofoam”? You just purchased some new electronic devices, and upon taking out your piece of electronic item from its package, you see a white stuffy thing, it’s quite light and it floats —That’s Styrofoam.
Or let’s say you attend a ceremony, and your food was delivered to you in a food container that is made up of that same stuff you saw in that electronic device’s package — That’s Styrofoam as well.
Styrofoam is expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) synthesized from petroleum and is used in a wide range of ways today.
You may have noticed that in your package, it was added to cushion your device and at the party, was used as a food container. But other than that, it probably has no use to you.
Read Also: How to Make Money from Metal Recycling Products
Styrofoam, like every other plastic item, if unchecked could fill out drainages causing floods and direly affect our ecosystem.
What is more, is that Styrofoam is carcinogenic to living organisms. Normally, it would wither down into smaller tit-bits over time and scavenging animals might consume it. This then creates a dire need that must be sated.
If Styrofoam has little or no benefit and could even be adversarial after use, then what should be done to it? Should we stop using it? But it’s cheap and efficient in its use and a more ideal alternative might not be readily available.
This leads us to one beneficial option which is Styrofoam recycling.
Styrofoam recycling ensures that it doesn’t end up in our drainages and cause flooding.
Taking it a step further, Styrofoam recycling would mean taking it away from the open environment where it would have withered down and get ingested by animals and possibly humans as a carcinogen to compound it.
Read Also: How to Make Money from Electronics Recycling (E-waste Recycling)
Now the main question becomes how do we recycle Styrofoam (Styrofoam Recycling Process)?
Since Styrofoam is over 90% air, the first thing would be to compact it so it takes up less space.
One method involves shredding the expanded polystyrene with a machine designed for such, and then in a foam densifier, the scintilla is heated to paste.
This reduces the expanded polystyrene to 1/90th of its original volume without the emission of any noxious gas. Thereafter, the polystyrene could be used depending on the needs of Styrofoam recycling.
In an alternative method of Styrofoam recycling, expanded polystyrene could be used in compacting or compressing it with special machines called compactors.
After the polystyrene is shredded, it is compacted to 1/50th of its original volume, turning it into compact blocks.
Read Also: Metal Recycling Process Complete Guide
However, this method might not be most efficient but it facilitates easy transportation of the blocks to their users.
Other than the two methods mentioned above, limonene which is extracted from citrus fruits is used to dissolve Styrofoam.
On an industrial scale, this method is employed by Sony Corporation of Japan.
So while you often had to dispose of Styrofoam and hadn’t a use for it, now you’re well aware that is recyclable and reusable.
Read Also: How to Enable the Synchronize Feature on your Google Gmail Account
You can also make money by gathering all your Styrofoams together in a Styrofoam recycling bin, search for any Styrofoam recycling near me/you and visit any of the Styrofoam recycling centers closest to you to sale the items to them for cash.
Do you have further questions or any other form of contribution? then please kindly use the comment section below for all your contributions.
You are also encouraged to please kindly share this information with your loved ones you feel can benefit from this as we cannot reach everyone at the same time. Thank you for sharing!
