Talk:Expanded polystyrene
https://news.stanford.edu/pr/2015/pr-worms-digest-plastics-092915.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653517317022 https://recyclopaedia.org.au/wiki/The_Avenue
- Mealworms breakdown EPS into viable, non-toxic fertiliser.
- They do so at a relatively slow rate, and work faster if ~10% of their food is EPS (by weight).
- The study's findings have been replicated at The_Avenue.
https://davehakkens.nl/community/forums/topic/what-to-do-with-expanded-polystyrene/
- Styrofoam bricks; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4n1-25z1mM
- Use as a render
- Mixed with concrete it's apparently flame retardant
- Acetone & EPS makes a glue
- Conversion to biogas
- Proprietary dedicated EPS shredding machines starting from $6,700usd
- Claims most shredders crush EPS, reducing it's utility as an expanded material.
https://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/recycling-styrofoam.html
- Do not burn polystyrene.
- Reuse, or sell in bulk
https://davehakkens.nl/community/forums/topic/find-a-solution-for-styrofoam-waste-v4/
- Water filtration; https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/jwld.2016.31.issue-1/jwld-2016-0042/jwld-2016-0042.pdf
- Melting down to non-expanded polystyrene at 160-180c; note that plastic degrades in prolonged heat
- Detailed experiments with heat by user.
- User says that heating results in too little polystyrene to justify the energy use.
- User heats to 150c and presses the material for midway state between EPS and PS.
- Reusing by making new shapes - hot wire cutter
- Large Recycling companies us baling and cold compaction to reduce the volume of EPS; http://www.styrotek.com/lorem-ipsum-dolar-sit-amet/
https://www.jepsa.jp/en/eps_recycling.html
Detailed source and graphic.
Notes[edit]
Expanded Polystyrene can be manufactured via injection moulding or extrusion, and is produced from grain sized virgin materials, which are expanded to various sizes depending on the requirement for the product, in a process that involves steaming & drying the material. Various products made from EPS are more, or less suitable for the inclusion of recycled EPS. Wafflepods, for instance, which are used to insulate the slabs of buildings end up encased in concrete so do not require fire retardant additives, so utilising recycled materials of unknown origin in their manufacture is fine. Other products in construction such as Insulated Concrete Forms will require a source material that has the appropriate fire retardant, in order to meet the relevant Australian Standards.