Polystyrene – often called expanded polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam – is a lightweight material commonly used to protect goods during transport. While it is technically recyclable, most household kerbside recycling programs do not accept it because of its low density, contamination risk, and the high costs involved in processing.
For this reason, polystyrene should never be placed in your household recycling bin. Instead, it requires specialist handling to ensure it doesn’t end up in landfill or pollute the environment.
How to Dispose of Polystyrene Responsibly
Some councils and recycling centres provide drop-off options for clean, white expanded polystyrene packaging – typically the kind used to protect electronics, furniture, or appliances during delivery. If your local facility accepts it, make sure the material is free from tape, stickers, or contaminants before dropping it off.
Food-contaminated polystyrene, such as takeaway containers and meat trays, cannot be recycled and should be placed in general waste. This contamination makes the material unsuitable for polystyrene recycling and adds significant cost to the process.
Why Polystyrene Recycling Is Problematic
Polystyrene breaks easily into small fragments that persist in the environment, often finding their way into waterways where they are harmful to wildlife. It is non-biodegradable, and because it is bulky yet lightweight, transporting and processing it for recycling is not always economically viable.
Reducing your reliance on polystyrene packaging wherever possible is the most effective way to minimise its environmental footprint. Choosing alternative materials and making use of recycling drop-off programs where available are small but important steps businesses and households can take.
At Wanless, we are committed to finding better ways to manage difficult materials like polystyrene. Through innovative recycling solutions and partnerships with councils and businesses, we help divert problem waste away from landfill and back into the resource cycle. Speak to our team today to explore tailored recycling options for your business.