Styrofoam recycling – how can it be recycled

Recycling Styrofoam

Styrofoam is also known as polystyrene. It is commonly used in every day products like packing material, take out boxes, and even in explosives. It can also be easily identified by looking at the bottom of any packaging and noting the triangular arrows with the number 6 stamped in the middle. Styrofoam is a part of our everyday life and while it is convenient and affordable, it is also not a good product to be around. Polystyrene is made from a substance called petroleum which is a highly flammable substance and it is also made from a chemical substance called benzene. Benzene is a dangerous carcinogen and is known to cause forms of cancer when humans are exposed to it.

Polystyrene is most affordable when it comes to packaging and shipping. It is most commonly used as padding when packaging large items. However, polystyrene takes an unbelievable amount of time to break down and it is a hazard to animals that may accidentally consume it. It can block their digestive tracts and in turn, cause them to die.
So, if polystyrene is so dangerous, why are we all so exposed to it? A majority of it is also used in packaging our food such as raw meat. It is cheap to manufacture and can be used in a wide variety of ways. If the public knew more about how dangerous and toxic polystyrene is, most people would avoid it. However, because of recent discoveries about this deadly material, dozens of cities in the United States have laws set in place that do not allow the use of polystyrene when it comes to being in direct contact with food.

How can polystyrene be recycled?

Most recycling programs will not accept any polystyrene so at the moment, it is up to our individual creativity on how to recycle it. We must avoid throwing it away in the garbage at all costs so that it does not end up on our dumps. One way to recycle polystyrene is to keep it and use it as packaging padding. Some craft stores have been known to accept polystyrene donations for their craft purposes as well. Another creative way to recycle polystyrene is to use it in planters. It is an excellent way to help with water drainage in potted plants.

Regardless of how you choose to recycle it, avoid simply throwing it away in the trash no matter how tempting and easy it may seem. It is extremely damaging to our ecosystem. Some people burn polystyrene in order to eliminate it from their home. However, it is hazardous to health to do so. Burning polystyrene causes it to release a gas called styrene that will negatively affect the human nervous system. It also produces a range of toxic chemicals that can harm any living creature in its vicinity.

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Why is recycling important and how it first started.

Enviormental icons for Recycling.

During the age of the ancient Greeks in 400 BC, the practice of recycling has been documented. During those times, people did not have access to the technology we now have in order to produce the resources they needed as quickly and efficiently as we can now. Resources were extremely scarce and because of this, archaeological studies show that people in the ancient times had far less household waste than we do now. Researchers have concluded that because of this evidence of less household waste, people in ancient times were forced to recycle more of their waste in order to make up for the absence or lack of new materials.

Before the industrial movement came along, researchers have found evidence of bronze and other metals that were used for various purposes in early Europe being melted down in order for them to be reused. In Britain, dustmen collected dust and ash that was produced by coal and wood fires in order to use them as a base material in the production of bricks for building. While the purpose of this type of recycling was not to be ecologically friendly, this was one of the side effects of recycling without them even knowing it. The main purpose of this type of recycling, however, was for economic reasons. Builders did not have to waste as much raw and new material by using the dust and ash as “fillers” for their bricks. This also allowed public waste to be removed and reused which aided much in the area of pollution and waste removal.

In the early 1800s, a man named Benjamin Law, in Yorkshire, invented a recycling process that allowed cloth rags to be turned into wool. He came up with a process that allowed old rag material to be combined with raw wool in order to come up with a recycled version called “mungo” wool. This industry greatly helped the economy of Yorkshire and it lasted till the early 1900s. Another important resource that was recycled during this time was drink bottles. Drink manufacturers like Schweppes offered an incentive for recycled drink bottles.

In the 1900s, industrialization came about which brought a huge demand for cheaper materials. Metals were in a huge demand and the process for recycling metals was invented. Scrap metals were valuable as it was much more affordable than using raw and pure metals. Railroads, in particular, fervently purchased and sold tons of scrap metal. Other industries that purchased scrap metals were the automobile and steel industries. Peddlers scoured the streets for scrap materials like unwanted machinery, old pots and pans, and other different types of metal. They were able to earn a living by collecting and selling the unwanted materials they found in dumps and streets. By the early 20th century, thousands of these “peddlers” were taking advantage of this scrap metal need and relied on collecting unwanted materials as a source of income.

During both world wars, resources were in high demand and there were resource shortages on both warring sides. This also caused the promotion and encouragement of recycling. Governments headed up campaigns urging their citizens to donate and conserve their resources in order to keep up with demand for weapons and other necessities. Today’s need for recycling is driven by the rising energy costs and depletion of fossil fuels. The concern for the ailing environment also drives the public to recycle more.

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What is Recycling and what are the benefits?

What is recycling? Recycling is a process in which waste, also known as used materials, is turned into new products in order to prevent an excess of waste and to make the most of materials. Recycling is an extremely important process in order to preserve new and fresh materials, save on energy usage, to reduce pollution in the air by burning and water by land filling when disposing waste, as well as to lower the amount of emissions from greenhouse gases. In today’s society, recycling is a huge factor in how we reduce and manage our waste.

Due to modern discoveries, there are many more different types of materials that can be recycled such as glass, paper, metal, textiles, electronics, and plastic. Waste that is considered biodegradable like food and garden waste is not typically considered recycling as those types of waste can be composted or reused. Materials that are meant to be recycled by the public are usually picked up by a collector at the resident’s curb. Those materials are then sorted, cleaned, and then finally reprocessed. If there is no curbside pick up available, there are collection centers available throughout the United States.

There are many benefits to recycling. Benefits include helping to sustain the environment much longer for future generations to enjoy the earth, conserving natural resources like water, wood, and various minerals, saving energy, and decreasing the emission of harmful greenhouse gases into the environment which influence the climate change around the globe.

There are three main steps to the recycling process. The first step is the collecting and processing stage. Depending on what kind of area one lives in, regardless of it being rural or urban, there are four main ways to collecting materials for recycling: picking up at the curbside, dropping materials off at drop-off centers, sending materials to buy-back centers, and participating in deposit/refund programs. After the materials are collected, they are all sent to a processing center for them to be sorted and prepared to be turned into a product that can be used again in the marketplace. The second step in the recycling process is the manufacturing phase. Many household items common to most American families like newspapers, toilet paper, plastic bottles, aluminum foil, canned drinks, and various other products are made of recycled materials. With today’s technology, even public places have recycled materials in them such as park benches and bridges. The third step in recycling consists of purchasing the recycled materials that have been turned into commercial products. This completes the recycling cycle. Consumers, business or individual, play a huge role in the success of the recycling process. As more and more consumers demand environmentally friendly products, more manufacturers will feel the pressure to meet that demand and produce higher quality products from recycled materials.

Recycling is a huge component in ensuring that our future generations will be able to have access to all the necessary raw resources that is needed for living. Each family must do their part in recycling in order for this to happen. If we do not start to become more knowledgeable in recycling, our growing population will burn through valuable resources faster than we and the earth can produce them.

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