Recycling Techniques for Polystyrene

Written by Rahul Verma | Updated: February 13, 2026

Bacteria that Feast on Polystyrene

The Alliance for Foam Packaging Plastic Recycling estimates that only approximately 12% of polystyrene is recycled due to the fact that the industry counts EPS manufacturing trash as part of that figure. In many cases, the cost and effort involved in recycling materials are greater than the cost and effort involved in just making new polystyrene.

Reusing polystyrene is the easiest recycling option for customers. This technique is best for packaging materials but is less effective with coffee cups and plastic forks. Peanuts used for packaging are easily recyclable. In order to use stiff materials as loose packing, shippers may first cut them into smaller pieces. UPS will take your used packing peanuts and put them to good use.

Used polystyrene can be recycled and used again in manufacturing. As the leading manufacturer of polystyrene food containers, Dart Container Corporation operates four sites in the United States and Canada that recycle expanded polystyrene (EPS) from institutions such as schools, supermarkets, hospitals, and other consumers. Here’s how their reprocessing plants handle things:

Shipped recyclables undergo quality control checks at the processing facility to eliminate common impurities like paper and food.
By sorting, unwashable trash is separated from washable recyclables.
The trash is put through a grinder to become “fluff.” Any EPS that isn’t spotless gets a good scrub and dry.
The air is forced out of the fluff by melting it with heat and friction.
Polystyrene strands are extruded by forcing the molten material through a die with tiny holes, and then the strands are cooled in water before being cut into pellets.
Toys, sun visors, and even insulation for buildings are just some of the many products that the pellets find their way into.

It is frequently not cost-effective to transport truckloads of light, bulky polystyrene to recycling centres. The recycling industry has developed methods to reduce the volume of waste. Balers compact foam packaging, lowering its overall size. Another choice is limonene, a natural solvent made from orange peels. Limonene can be recycled by dissolving and concentrating EPS. The EPS foam is “melted” without heat by the chemical, shrinking to 5% of its original size. With the help of heat, EPS can be compacted into a shippable brick form.

Polystyrene produces carbon dioxide and water vapour when incinerated in municipal facilities. It’s a great fuel for thermal recycling operations, which recover the heat from garbage and put it to productive use.

The polystyrene market has been pushing for simpler recycling processes for the material’s end users. For instance, you can find a local organization that buys back discarded EPS packaging by consulting the Plastic Loose Fill Council’s website. A “Peanut Hotline” can be called for information on where to donate unpackaged EPS. The Earth911 website is another great resource for locating drop-off locations. Consumers can mail in their non-food EPS to be recycled through the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers.

The Value of Recycled Polystyrene

Repurposed EPS may be made to seem like wood, making it ideal for outdoor furniture like benches and fence posts. It’s cheaper than hardwood and can be used in place of rainforest-destroying hardwoods like mahogany and teak.

Polystyrene production relies on petroleum, a finite resource. Thus, the amount of oil used in the production of polystyrene can be decreased through its recycling. Some energy will still be expended to move and reprocess the material, so this is not a 100% gain.

The most obvious benefit of recycling polystyrene is the decrease in land and marine trash. Since EPS is unaffected by air, light, or moisture, it can exist perpetually. It will cost money for the city to clean up. For this reason, many municipalities have outlawed the use of EPS in takeout food containers. This includes San Francisco and Seattle.

Landfills can’t get rid of polystyrene; it will sit there for hundreds of years. Since today’s landfills are enclosed to keep out moisture and light and aren’t designed to promote biodegradation, the industry contends this isn’t a serious disadvantage. In a landfill, not even organic waste decomposes.

The marine life in the ocean is also in danger from polystyrene. When EPS deteriorates, it breaks down into microscopic particles that can be mistaken for food by fish. The foam causes blockages in the digestive systems of aquatic animals, leading to their deaths. According to a paper published in Environmental Research in 2008, EPS is responsible for up to 80% of marine litter. Those numbers can be lowered with the help of recycling programs.

Polystyrene from consumer products can be recycled instead of being thrown into bonfires or burned in drums. Without proper incinerators, the combustion of polystyrene might release harmful byproducts.

An excellent illustration of the complexities that might arise when considering resource conservation and environmental protection is provided by the pros and cons of recycling polystyrene. The answers aren’t always simple, like recycling plastic, for example. However, using substitute materials is not a foolproof way to avoid the issue at hand. Your takeout coffee paper cup, for instance, is likely not recyclable because it has a plastic coating. It also does not decompose in landfills. Although ceramic cups are more durable than polystyrene ones, they nevertheless require energy to manufacture and, in most cases, additional energy to heat water for washing. Long-term savings are possible, but the option is not always black and white.