There is no economic sense for a demolition company to transport a load of dirty contaminated EPS separately for recycling.
‘I opened the box and there around the TV was- oh no… lots of chunky polystyrene. Probably can’t go in the recycle bin and it’s so big…’
Polystyrene has been around for a while, created by accident in the late 1930s, in its expanded form (Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) quickly became a useful material in our mobile society. It is made from petrolium products a polymer of the molecule styrene.
The styrene is in beads and is then aerated to become the expanded polystyrene we recognise.
- Very light, but strong (good for packaging and transporting)
- Good insulator (easy insulation building material)
- Floats on water (good for flotation devices-water resistant)
- Cheap to make (useful for single use goods such as take away food industry)
- Resistant, inert to biological degradation (lasts a long time where necessary)
The expansion process is carried out close to where the product would be marketed.
Recycling the end product in WA
While EPS is very recyclable (usually pure and clean) the transport of the material to the recycling facility is only feasible for large quantities or local suppliers. Currently, there is one main polystyrene recycler in Perth- CLAW Environmental in Welshpool. Long term materials such as building insulation will only be recycled when arriving as off-cuts to a new building. There is no economic sense for a demolition company to transport a load of dirty contaminated EPS (with other building material) to Welshpool for recycling.
Sometimes EPS material is attached to wood. Is it worth removing the wood to salvage the EPS? An economic decision. Ironically if we are located a wood recycler, the contaminant will be the EPS. Then it may be economical for this recycler to remove the EPS! It’s all about the cost.
At CLAW, the EPS is shredded, compressed, baled and sent to China to be beaded up and transported internationally and manufactured into whatever goods are required. EPS does not get recycled into EPS. Raw ingredients are needed for new batches.
So should we be making this material, if we cannot guarantee the final destination after intended use? Probably not for single use goods such as boxes and food containers, but then we need a lightweight, water resistant, strong and cheap packaging material to replace it. Manufacturers of white goods and electronic equipment are now looking to crushed cardboard, shredded paper and more to ensure a better outcome for the packaging materials.
Until we can ensure an extended producer liability scheme whereby manufacturers/importers will be financially responsible for the ultimate disposal of their materials and products, we may not see any rapid changes.
