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TR WasteTrade Materials
Polystyrene Recycling
Buy & Sell PS plastic worldwide at WasteTrade. We specialise in PS Recycling in the UK, where you get the best prices for your PS plastic scrap materials
Materials
Polystyrene Recycling
Polystyrene recycling services can be accessed more easily than ever before through the WasteTrade online marketplace. Through our platform, you can gain exposure from our fully-vetted global userbase for the materials you have for sale. WasteTrade offers a direct connection to more polystyrene recycling outlets than could ever be possible by traditional brokerage methods.
In addition to this direct connection, WasteTrade also means you no longer have to be reliant on brokers to offer you the best polystyrene recycling solutions for you. You no longer need to trust the prices brokers offer you are a true representation of the value of your materials, as WasteTrade’s transparent marketplace shows you the exact offer the buyer made you. You also do not have to worry whether the recycler your broker is sending your materials to is ethical, as all buyers on the WasteTrade platform have had to pass our background checks and verification process.
You can access these polystyrene recycling services through WasteTrade for completely free. It is free to create your account on WasteTrade, it is free to create listings, and we do not take commissions on loads of material sold through the platform. We are creating the most reliable online environment for the ethical handling and disposal of waste materials in the industry, and we are offering it for free to make these services as widely and readily available as possible.
Recycling Polystyrene
The process of recycling polystyrene is broadly similar to recycling expanded polystyrene, however there are a few differences. The exact process will again vary from one recycler to the next, but the general steps will remain the same. You can find outlets for recycling polystyrene services through the WasteTrade marketplace.
As with EPS, the first step in recycling polystyrene is to sort through the stock to make sure that all non-PS materials, such as wood, metals, cardboard and other plastics, have been removed.
The second step in the process of recycling polystyrene is washing the material to ensure there are no contaminants, such as residual liquid or dirt, left on the plastic. Once again, this is the same as in the EPS process as any contaminating substances on the materials will reduce the overall quality of the end product, which will in turn reduce its value.
The final step in recycling polystyrene is shredding the PS into small pieces, before then melting it down to be shaped and cooled into recycled plastic pellet. This recycled plastic pellet is then ready to go back into manufacturing, meaning these valuable plastic resources stay out of landfill and stay in use within the economy.
Is Polystyrene Recyclable?
The question of is polystyrene recyclable or not is often asked, and the short answer is yes. However, the long answer to ‘is polystyrene recyclable?’ is it depends; there are many factors that must be taken into account when considering polystyrene materials for recycling. What the material was used for, the condition of the material, whether any contaminants are present, and many other things must be considered.
For example, polystyrene is often used in food packaging; if the material is covered in too much food waste that can’t be properly cleaned, then the material may not be recyclable. Also, if the polystyrene is mixed with different polymers or other non-plastic materials and can’t be properly separated out, then again the material may not be recyclable. However, if the polystyrene is free from contaminants and other materials, then generally the answer to ‘is polystyrene recyclable?’ will be yes.
Recycle 6 PS
You can now recycle 6 PS waste easier than ever with the WasteTrade online marketplace. WasteTrade removes the barriers to ethical waste disposal that have plagued the recycling industry up until now. WasteTrade handles issues such as haulage and compliance to remove the burden from you, so you can recycle 6 PS waste with ease.
We also take away the stressful and time-consuming task of having to chase for payments. Thanks to our secure payment transactions, your money is completely safe throughout the entire process. When a deal is agreed on the platform, we require payment from the buyer before releasing the haulage vehicle to the supplier’s site. Once payment has been made, we will keep the money secure until the haulier has collected the materials from the supplier, at which point we then release the funds to them. This allows buyers and sellers trying to recycle 6 PS to do so without unnecessary obstacles getting in their way.
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Frequently asked questions
Polystyrene (PS) is a thermoplastic made by putting the monomer styrene through a process called polymerisation, which bonds the monomers together to form polymer chains of Polystyrene. PS can come in the form of a solid plastic or a rigid foam, and it is commonly used in a range of products like medical test tubes, smoke alarm housings, yoghurt pots and CD cases.
Polystyrene (PS) has a wide range of uses, including: Disposable drinks cups, CD cases, DVD boxes, take away food containers, egg boxes, building insulation, medical equipment, plastic model assembly kits, vacuum cleaners, food packaging, packaging materials and electronics parts.
Due to the fact that Polystyrene (PS) can come in the form of a solid plastic or a rigid foam, the number of potential uses of this material is vast. With foam polystyrene, most of the material’s volume is actually trapped air, meaning that relatively little actual plastic material is needed. This makes PS highly cost-effective as well as highly adaptable.
Polystyrene (PS) is a hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer styrene. This monomer is produced by the alkylation of benzene with ethylene to produce ethylbenzene; ethylbenzene is then put through a process called ‘dehydrogenation’, which removes the hydrogen from the compound, turning it into styrene. The styrene monomer (molecule) is then polymerised into polymer chains of polystyrene.
Polystyrene (PS) can come in the form of a rigid plastic or a rigid foam. PS in its rigid foam state is a popular choice for insulation, as it is made by using gas to expand small beads of polystyrene. Polystyrene makes such an effective insulator because the trapped air bubbles pack the PS beads very tightly together, preventing heat from passing through. Additionally, as the material is mostly air, very little raw material is needed; this makes PS very cost-effective, as well as an efficient insulator.
