List of frequently asked questions about polystyrene recycling

In the past articles, we talked about many topics related to polystyrene recycling in Australia. Now we have compiled a list of frequently asked Q&A as follows.

What is Polystyrene?

Polystyrene is a thermoplastic foam made from suspension polymerization of styrene and then added with a blowing agent, with the plastic resin number 6 on items like foam cups and take-out containers. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastic types with good shockproof performance and is also commonly used in packaging for furniture or other fragile items.

customized-polystyrene-recycling-machine

Why is Polystyrene problematic?

Polystyrene packaging waste is usually discarded after one-time use and can easily break apart and blow away, often ending up in drains and creeks and taking 500 years to degrade, causing soil and water pollution. Once it is in the ocean, the churning waves and beating sun weather it back down into bite-size pieces more easily than is the case with other plastics. Once in our oceans, the polystyrene pieces are extremely dangerous for our marine wildlife. It is imperative to gradually replace  problematic polystyrene materials, but it is more feasible to efficiently recycle polystyrene waste in the short term.

Can Polystyrene really be recycled?

There is still a widespread – and misplaced – belief that waste polystyrene foam cannot be recycled. Polystyrene is 100% recycled because it is composed of 98% air, and now high-quality polystyrene recycling machine on the market can effectively recycle waste polystyrene through the screw and automatic hydraulic system without any pollution, which revolutionizes the traditional filling and incineration methods that will pollute the air, soil and water that humans and animals depend on for survival.

How can I recycle Polystyrene waste?

For individuals, there are many drop off facilities for polystyrene recycling in Australia, and they are capable of accepting all types of EPS from both packaging and building applications. You can find out where the collection facility is in your state.

If you are an end manufacturer and recycler of polystyrene foam packaging, with large amounts of waste polystyrene packaging or those who want to do long-term EPS recycling business, then a professional polystyrene recycling machine will be needed.

What is a polystyrene recycling machine?

A polystyrene recycling machine is often equipped with screw and automatic hydraulic system, specialized in reducing the volume of waste polystyrene by crushing, compacting and extrusion molding, such as Polystyrene Compactor and Polystyrene Melting Machine. After compressing, the discarded bulky polystyrene waste can be converted into a dense block, which can be further processed to make new products like photo frames and decoration mouldings, turning waste into treasure to develop a circular economy.

How to choose the suitable polystyrene recycling machine?

In Australia, there are mainly two popular EPS recycling machines, one is the polystyrene cold compactor that operates by rotating screw pressure, and the other is the polystyrene melting machine that is equipped with the screw melting technology. How to buy a polystyrene recycling machine suitable for your business? Here are some tips.

If you have other questions, please contact us for more information.


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