In contrast to popular belief, polystyrene is a recyclable material. It's a preferred product in industries such as construction, where it can be repurposed in anything from insulation to transporting vulnerable items. So how is it recycled? What's the primary step to polystyrene recycling?

Recycling polystyrene needs an unique machine known as a polystyrene compactor. These are similar to other compactors, mainly used for dry, wet and also even offending waste types. Nevertheless, polystyrene compactors are especially made to compact large volumes of polystyrene.

Here's what you need to know about polystyrene recycling.

● How to use machine to recycle polystyrene

● Why polystyrene recycling?

How to use machine to recycle polystyrene

Polystyrene (such as expanded polystyrene, or EPS) is fed into polystyrene compactor in substantial chunks. This is then that spun and cut by internal meshing blades, reducing the polystyrene into small parts.

These parts are then that compressed with great pressure, integrating them right into one solid cubic shape, which is denser and heavier than everyday polystyrene. The cubic shape is then that cut by a large blade, separating it into more manageable pieces. These can then be stacked on wooden pallets, ready for sale to recyclers.

You can watch what this process looks like in our video below.

Why polystyrene recycling?

We recycle due to the fact that we intend to take care of the planet we live on. Polystyrene isn't an exemption to this.

However, EPS is non-biodegradable as it's a synthetic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer referred to as styrene. This itself is primarily produced from an organic compound called ethylbenzene, which occurs normally in and also is harvested from both coal tar and also petroleum (crude oil).

This means polystyrene itself is an additional product of an energy-intensive industry, one that is accountable for a large production of greenhouse gas exhausts. If businesses wish to reduce their carbon footprints, ensuring they're buying as well as using recycled polystyrene is a must. This is naturally leading to a need for the product.

Generally, polystyrene isn't recycled since, in its typical form, it's inconvenient to gather as a result of its low density as well as large volume. Compaction is a brilliant way of resolving this, where the material can change from 30kg/m³ to 330kg/m³, where it becomes a highly valuable product for producers of recycled plastic pellets.

Recycling polystyrene brings in numerous tangible advantages, such as:

● A decrease of waste volume, causing fewer scheduled collections (and a smaller cost for these).

● Lowered labour costs with easily managed compacted material and quick compaction times.

● Improved on-site security via waste elimination.

● Prospective profits from sold recycled polystyrene.

Polystyrene compactors have a normal compaction rate of 50:1, meaning you can reduce the volume of your polystyrene by a substantial quantity. So, it's easier to transport and more enticing to recyclers.

This makes sense for companies with a large polystyrene waste production. You can see polystyrene recycling in action in our video below.

Could Your Material Recycling Be Even More Efficient?

Many businesses, particularly those with large volumes of waste, intend to recycle those materials and also re-sell them for added profits. That's easier said than done, need bespoke machinery used on-site to compact waste.

Whether you require waste management machinery is a vital question to ask. It’s part of the wider method of ensuring efficiency and ROI within your waste management strategy. GREENMAX can help you formulate the most suitable strategy for you, analyze whether your company needs a polystyrene recycling machine, click here to contact us.