Top Takeaways
>> Polystyrene is technically recyclable but it requires a specialist recycling facility. There are 13 EPS recyclers in the UK.
>> Most councils say that polystyrene is not recyclable from home and should be placed in your general waste bin.
>> Some companies claim polystyrene to be ‘green’ because it’s 98% air. It may have many uses but polystyrene isn’t environmentally friendly.
Just over 15 million tonnes of polystyrene was on a global scale in 2022. By 2026, polystyrene production is expected to grow to 16.75 million metric tonnes thanks to two new factories planned in Asia.
Guess what though? Polystyrene recycling rates don’t reach anywhere near how much is being produced. According to the Alliance for Foam Packaging recycling reports, only 12% of polystyrene is being recycled. Yet this durable plastic-based material makes up around 30% of total landfill volume.
These aren’t promising stats as far as polystyrene and sustainability go. So, why isn’t more polystyrene being recycled? Can you recycle polystyrene from home? Let’s find out.
Is polystyrene recyclable?
Certain types of polystyrene are recyclable in the UK. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is the most recyclable type. This is because it’s 98% air and just 2% plastic.
It’s also important to make sure any polystyrene is uncontaminated before it’s recycled, otherwise it could be rejected in the recycling facility.
It’s thought around 100 tonnes of polystyrene is recycled each month in the UK. On an annual basis this is just over 1,000 tonnes.
On a global scale though, 100 tonnes is just 0.0006% of the annual global production. That’s an incredibly small amount.
There’s quite a big caveat as to why more polystyrene isn’t recycled.
Why isn’t more recycled?
The truth is that it’s not very easy or convenient to recycle polystyrene.
There are a number of reasons why polystyrene is not easy to recycle.
- Contaminated polystyrene (i.e. polystyrene with food or paint on it) cannot be recycled. You’d have to scrub clean and de-grease it.
- Specialist facilities and equipment are needed to break polystyrene up and compact it into blocks – this equipment is expensive.
- There is no real incentive for councils or private companies to invest in polystyrene compactors and the facilities to go with it.
- It’s a difficult material to collect – it’s very light but because it’s expanded, it takes up a lot of space. As it would enter a facility mixed in with other materials, it would also be difficult to separate and collect in big enough quantities to compact together.
To the everyday person, you have to go out of your way to ensure that any polystyrene in your possession is recycled.
This is because there aren’t many specialist facilities in the UK that deal with it.
For me a good way to reuse polystyrene is in creating more eco friendly insulation. This is a two-pronged win. An existing resource is used (first win) to reduce the energy loss from homes (second win).
Can you put it in your recycling bin?
The general rule is no you cannot put polystyrene in your household recycling bin.
Most local councils will not accept polystyrene in the recycling stream and therefore will not collect it from your home.
This is the case for most people in the UK. Some councils may accept polystyrene, but I think these are few and far between.
You can check by heading to Recycle Now, search for polystyrene and put in your postcode to see if there are any nearby facilities. I checked numerous cities and locations across the UK and found nothing.
According to the British Plastics Federation, there are 13 EPS recyclers in the UK.
This issue is with the infrastructure across the UK, or severe lack of it. For any eco-conscious person trying to live a more sustainable life, this is disappointing.
What to do from home with polystyrene?
Unfortunately, there is no advice for recycling polystyrene from home. As far as most councils go, no polystyrene is not recyclable at home.
I first asked my local area (Greater Manchester) what to do with polystyrene in 2021 and they said to put it in the general waste bin. I asked the question again in 2024 and the answer remained the same – how disappointing.
This is not really the advice I’d like to hear as an environmentally conscious person. Hopefully one day we will be able to put polystyrene in the recycling bin. You can learn about other materials from our recycling resource page.
Company take-back of polystyrene
An awful lot of companies are happy to manufacture and use polystyrene but not many are willing to take responsibility for it afterwards.
This is both a shame and irresponsible. As far as environmental sustainability goes, it’s non-existent.
In order to recycle polystyrene, you will have to find a private company who have a compactor and who will accept the material.
As it’s technically recyclable, some companies actually claim polystyrene to be a green and environmentally friendly material. This is pure green-washing – check out my Eco Glossary for more on this.
However, some of companies do offer a polystyrene takeback recycling scheme. Check out these sites Ecclestons and Molygran.
How can recycled polystyrene be used afterwards?
Ok, of the little polystyrene that does get recycled, are there any secondary uses?
Recycing polystyrene in a facility looks like this:
- The original polystyrene is shredded
- It’s then pelletised or compacted into blocks or briquettes to be used again
Recycled polystyrene can be used to make:
- Recycled plastic planks
- Park and garden benches
- Outdoor furniture products
- Clothes hangers
- Toys
- Seedling containers
- Plant pots
- Picture frames
You can also use small amounts of polystyrene at home to re-stuff bean bags (or make your own), in packaging for any breakable items you might be sending in the post or as drainage at the bottom of your plant pots.
FAQs on Polystyrene
The final word on polystyrene recycling
Polystyrene is not easily recyclable at the minute. I’d like to see this change in the future. I think it’s important as EPS production isn’t going to drop that much. This is because EPS is a useful and very lightweight material in the industries of food packaging, transport packaging and pharmaceuticals.
But on the other hand, polystyrene is made with fossil fuels, highly processed and not good for the environment.
Alternatives could be to use paper-based containers, plant-based containers or 100% recyclable materials such as stainless steel and sustainable cork. You can take a look at our materials sustainability page for more information.
Read more on recycling materials…
