Recycling | March 24, 2009 |
Is Recycling Styrofoam the Best Choice?
Florida is trying to stop landfill waste streams, particularly related to Styrofoam, or similar plastics like polystyrene. To do so, they have partnered with RecycleTech, a company that has made recycling polystyrene economically feasible and supplied funding for the effort via the Innovative Waste and Reduction Grant. Previously recycling of polystyrene was considered laborious and too expensive compared to the return on resale and reuse of the recycled material. So, companies sent their packaging polystyrene to landfills, adding a waste product that takes dozens of years to decompose and when it does, adds chemicals to the runoff of landfills entering waterways and small pieces that wildlife ingest.
RecyceTech is placing their equipment throughout counties in Florida. The equipment works by shrinking the volume of polystyrene by 90 times, after all, it is mostly air, and then heat is applied to melt the shrunk polystyrene into a solid slab. The slab is then sold to plastic manufacturers and used as the “raw, but recycled” material for other plastics.
Reducing waste streams is vital. But, let’s ask ourselves, if polystyrene is harmful for the environment, why are we recycling it? It is a plastic that is chemically treated and so manufacturers are exposed to those toxins. Cities are banning the use of the product because it is both harmful and major landfill filler.
Should we recycle and reintroduce something into the market that is so harmful? Are we being responsible be continuing to use the product?
A better answer is to eliminate the product and substitute its use with other materials, for example, biodegradable plastics.
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Comments By Readers
I totally agree with you! IF we just stopped reproducing the harmful material altogether, then it wouldn't hurt our environment anymore because there is nothing there to hurt it! We can do so many things to help our environment, and we think that recylcing is th best idea. Sometimes, like in this case, it might not be the best idea if we really are just going to hurt our environment anymore. Thanks, you eally proved a point!
I totally agree with you! IF we just stopped reproducing the harmful material altogether, then it wouldn't hurt our environment anymore because there is nothing there to hurt it! We can do so many things to help our environment, and we think that recylcing is th best idea. Sometimes, like in this case, it might not be the best idea if we really are just going to hurt our environment anymore. Thanks, you eally proved a point!
No doubt we have to do something about Styrofoam and maybe banning the manufacture of the material is the answer but what about the volumes of this material that is littering our environment today. I think the point of your story is that a process does exist to keep this stuff out of the landfills and from littering our streets and highways and Florida is taking a positive step towards addressing the issue. A ban on the material may work but until someone comes up with a material that has the same characteristics as Styrofoam, such as light in weight, strong, durable, insulating qualities and is inexpensive, businesses will continue to use it even with a ban.
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