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1. What is Polystyrene? Don’t You Mean "Styrofoam®"?
The name "Styrofoam®" is a trademark name of Dow Chemical for their foamed polystyrene material. It is used mainly in the construction industry as insulation. Polystyrene is the name of the resin material and has been identified as #6 in the plastics identification scale of 1-7. It is a versatile material that comes in various forms: foam or rigid, as well as clear, colored or printed. Plates, cups, bowls and trays are examples of foamed polystyrene. Knives, forks and spoons are examples of rigid polystyrene. Clear salad containers (clamshells), cups, lids, dessert dishes, rigid plates and bowls are also made of #6 polystyrene. All items made from #6 polystyrene are recyclable.
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2. Why Consider Polystyrene?
| a) |
It can be recycled. Recycled resin can and is used in making a wide range of products including food service products, which can be recycled again. |
| b) |
Polystyrene offers a price advantage to the user over other disposable products. |
| c) |
Polystyrene is made in virtually every shape and size to meet the needs of the potential customer. It ranges from foam cups and plates to cutlery. |
| d) |
It can be washed/cleaned as part of a material recovery process leading to the making of recycled pellets. It is the pellets that are used in the manufacturing of polystyrene products. |
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3. Do You Really Recycle?
YES! In many cases our program becomes a major component to a larger recycling program. In schools this augments the milk carton, corrugated, and paper recycling programs already in place. In the commercial sector it provides the user the opportunity to recycle in the workplace. In various surveys taken at facilities after we start our program we get the response of "it’s about time", "I recycle at home and it’s great and now we can do it at work". If requested, the recycled material we produce can be easily tracked to manufacturers of polystyrene products. In the case of its reuse in food service products the manufacturer will show the percent content of recycled material. Normally this runs about 25% recycled along with 75% virgin material.
Can polystyrene be recycled? The answer is YES.
Are we recycling? The answer is YES. Back to Top
4. How Does the Material Go from "Dirty" Plates or Trays to Clean Recyclable Resin Pellets?
After we pick up the soiled plates/trays, cutlery, etc., from our customer it is sent to our material processing facility in Portland. Here the material is sorted, cleaned by repeated washings, dried and densified into small pellets. The pellets are sold to users of recycled polystyrene.
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5. You Mention "Dirty" Dishes - Just What Do You Mean?
"How clean do the plates or trays have to be so you will take them for recycling?" This question comes up often. You do not need to wash anything. However, it is very important that the student or employee do all they can to remove any remaining food waste, napkins and wrappers. We expect that there will be some remaining material. The best procedure is to have the plates or trays "rapped" on the edge of the waste container as part of the disposal procedure. This will remove most of the remaining food, loose wrappers and napkins. Liquids in cups or containers should be emptied as well. We have found that with proper signs and collection units, most waste is disposed of properly. Keep in mind that it may take some time to get everyone on board the recycling program and repeated reminders will be needed. Plan on using various forms of reminders such as newsletters, email, table tents, etc. This is especially important if you have a large turnover of users.
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6. Does This Mean We Won’t Need to Use the Dishwashing Machine?
No! Most disposables including polystyrene reduce the overall use of dish machines. There are still pots and pans, serving dishes, etc. that need to be washed. However, one advantage to our program is the marked reduction in overall machine use. Less labor, chemicals, energy, water, and fewer permanent-ware replacement are program benefits. In addition, a high level of sanitation is achieved.
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7. What Recycling "Tools" Are Available to the User?
We have available a number of items specifically designed to encourage polystyrene recycling.
- Signs for instruction on recycling
- Displays showing the process of recovering and recycling polystyrene
- Table tents showing the steps in recycling
- Recycling information for your company newsletter
- Processing facility tours
- A representative of The Recycling Professionals, Inc., is available to assist in implementing the program at your facility if necessary.
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8. What About Concern For the Environment?
Naturally there is some hesitation about using "Styrofoam®" or polystyrene products. While not the perfect medium, it does provide some answers to our current lifestyle. It is cost effective, it is recyclable and it fits well product-wise to the types of food being presented. This is not to say there are no problems using polystyrene, there are. But like so many disposable products there is a need for tradeoffs. From our view polystyrene food service along with recycling is the least objectionable. Where there has been some concern, The Recycling Professionals, Inc., has responded personally and attempted to answer any and all questions. We also provide documentation and facility tours when requested.
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9. Sustainability and The Recycling Professionals, Inc.
The term "sustainability" has become the "hot" issue in an ever-widening circle of players. For those working on the term Sustainability and wrestling with ways to define it and measure it’s impact on our life, the task is complex and full of differences in interpretation and application. The Recycling Professionals, Inc., acknowledges this new much-needed term and some definition of measurement to move into the future. Recycling appears in all the various models of the term Sustainability. The Recycling Professionals, Inc., is working to accomplish at least a part of the goal of reduction of solid waste through reuse via recycling. Our business model uses "Product Stewardship". This is a style of participation in which the true cost of a product is spread over the wider range of product manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal. While our model is not as inclusive as to the cost of raw material, depletion of resources and energy consumption, it does incorporate the major components that most users can understand and these are costs that impact them every day. These include the cost of labor, sanitation, water, chemicals, power, and solid waste disposal. Making recycling a practical, easy to use, cost effective way of business is The Recycling Professionals, Inc., objective.
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10. Do You Recycle "Peanuts" and Other Foam Packaging Material?
Sorry, no. However, we may be able to assist you in locating a company that will accept this material.
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