Polystyrene food containers and cups are set to be outlawed in Queensland

According to the Brisbane Times, draft laws banning plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, and plates were written up before the October state election, but the government has added polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups to the list recently. Businesses caught selling single-use expanded polystyrene items after they are outlawed would be fined up to $6672.

Why is polystyrene banned in Queensland?

Polystyrene products provide a lot of convenience to our daily lives, but because they are often discarded after one-time use, waste polystyrene has invaded the ecological environment on which humans depend.

A surprising fact is that it takes at least 500 years for polystyrene to degrade, and polystyrene fragments in the natural environment are easily mistaken for food by animals, causing the death of fish, birds and other animals; Besides, small plastic particles eventually enter the human body through the food chain cycle, threatening the health of human life. The draft laws banning polystyrene food containers and cups is beneficial for protecting the environment, as well as shifting away from the culture of single-use, urging us to cherish natural resources and reduce waste and pollution.

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Recycling is the key to develop circular economy

In addition to the one-size-fits-all prohibition and fines, polystyrene recycling is a way that can bring long-term economic and environmental benefits and helps the Queesland government develop a circular economy.

However, polystyrene is usually not accepted by roadside bins and some recycling centers due to its large size and lightweight, which easily fills up trash cans and is not easy to transport. In the local council and waste management equipped with professional polystyrene recycling equipment, waste polystyrene can be recycled well and then used to pelletize and make new products, such as decorative picture frames and mirror frames, which can turn waste into treasure.

For example, GREENMAX Polystyrene Compactor is a polystyrene recycling machine specialized in compressing waste polystyrene food containers, packaging boxes, etc. by rotating screw pressure. The bulky waste polystyrene will be compressed into dense blocks by the polystyrene compactor and then used to make picture frames.

In the past, Queensland saw "at least" a 70% drop in plastic bag litter since the introduction of the single-use bag ban in 2018 while more than one billion bottles and cans were recycled in the first year of the 10% container recycling scheme. Polystyrene items can also be recycled efficiently with the help of professional polystyrene recycling machines. Let us pick up the discarded polystyrene cups and start the recycling journey!