Posts tagged with styrofoam

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February 2, 2012

Does Styrofoam Cups More Eco-friendly Than Paper Cups?

Normally, people would guess a paper cup is much more eco-friendly then its evil step sibling. Most people instantly think paper is more eco-conscious because it is recyclable, but truth be told, most paper cups intended for hot beverages are not recyclable. the Styrofoam cup, However, in many cases, a Styrofoam cup is the greener option. Here is a quick overview of the two contenders.

Insulation

paper cup Styrofoam vs. Paper Cups: Which is More Eco Friendly? Just fill up both cups with hot liquid and hold them in your hands. While the paper cup radiates the hot liquid inside the cup, the Styrofoam cup will be cool to touch. How to solve the paper cup problem? Add more paper.  It is obvious a Styrofoam cup insulates much better than paper. While most hot-cup sleeves are made from recycled materials and are recyclable, it is still an added item to a simple Styrofoam cup.

Eco-friendly

If you’re concerned with making the eco-friendly choice between the two, Styrofoam wins on many fronts. A standard paper cup takes more than 20 years to decompose in a landfill environment. This is mostly due to the wax lining on the inside of the cup. The trendy paper cup also takes more energy, raw material and money to make. For example, in comparison to Styrofoam, a paper cup requires 12 times the amount of water, 36 times the amount of electricity and costs double the amount of money to produce.

Cost

The typical paper cup costs around two-and-a-half times the amount of a Styrofoam cup. Aside from the production of the cup, if you add the cardboard sleeve and its production, raw material, energy and shipping needs, you need to throw in an additional 2-3 cents per cup. Modifying or customizing a Styrofoam cup is nearly half the price of customizing a paper cup. The bottom line is that paper cups are more than double the price to produce and require a cardboard sleeve if you want to save your fingertips.

When it boils down, it appears that going with Styrofoam is more eco-friendly compared to a paper cup. There are better ways to drink your hot beverages, such as using a reusable tumbler, coffee mug or other container you wash and use over and over. If you have to use a disposable paper cup, find out if the establishment you are buying your drink from uses biodegradable cups. If they do, that is the way to go. As the cup industry moves away from the traditional method of manufacturing the current unrecyclable paper cup into a more biodegradable version, the battle between Styrofoam and paper cups may take a turn. In a scenario where the paper cup is biodegradable, a paper cup may win.

 

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October 23, 2011

How to Recycle PS 6 Styrofoam

Styrofoam recyclePS 6 Styrofoam, also known as Polystyrene, commonly takes the form of packing material, arriving in parcels to households across the globe. Unlike paper packing, Polystyrene cannot be thrown away and expected to break down quickly in the earth’s soil. The eco-friendly option is to recycle the Polystyrene.

Instructions

    • 1

      Check the foam for a triangle symbol with a 6 stamped in its middle to identify that the product is Polystyrene. The triangle represents the recycling logo, and the number 6 identifies the product as Polystyrene.

    • 2

      Go to Earth911.com. This is a website that specializes in finding recycling centers for specific products in any given area of the USA. The website is dedicated to the topic of recycling and provides much information on the easiest way to recycle particular products.

    • 3

      Enter “Polystyrene” into the “Find Recycling Centers For…” box at Earth911.com. To the right of that box, enter your location in the “Near…” box. Click the “Search” button to see a list of all the recycling centers near you that accept Polystyrene.

    • 4

      Drive, bike or bus the Polystyrene to the recycling center recommended by Earth911. If this is not an option, the Alliance of Foam Packing Recyclers has a mail-back program for residents of the U.S. At epspackaging.org, one can find a link to the nearest mail-back location where the Polystyrene can be sent. There will be a small cost for postage, but most likely a smaller amount than what would be spent on gas driving to the recycling center.

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September 3, 2010

EPS can be recycled into plastic raw material and reused for plastic products

Styrofoam

Most people call polystyrene foam “Styrofoam.” But this is a trade name for a product invented by Dow Chemical about 60 years ago. Dow’s website is quick to point out that there isn’t a coffee cup, cooler, or packaging material in the world made from STYROFOAM. STYROFOAM is blue and is used in a variety of building materials, including insulation.
The recyclable Styrofoam is EPS #6 – packing support (not peanuts). People can use it to make various products.
If you want to recycle any EPS, please make sure it is clean, with no stickers, grease, dirt, tape, labels, etc. If it’s too difficult to remove a label or contaminant, simply break off the offending piece and recycle the rest. The recycler will chop up the EPS anyway and turn it into new packing material.
EPS is recycled into plastic raw material and reused for plastic products

EPS is recycled into plastic raw material and reused for plastic products