RSSBack

6 August 2007

Purex and Taylor Products help develop process to recycle polystyrene

Polystyrene is often overlooked as a recyclable material unlike glass, cans and paper. It is often thrown into the bin or works skip and taken away to landfill. This no longer has to be the case as Taylor Products Ltd of Cardiff in partnership with Purex International Ltd have developed the Styromelt Polystyrene Densifier to help recycle this problematic waste material.

Thousands of tonnes of polystyrene are sent to landfill every year unnecessarily. The main reason companies do not recycle polystyrene is that it does not yield much material compared to its volume: polystyrene is 95% air. This fact make it expensive to store and transport for little gain; local authority recycling centres do not separate polystyrene for recycling for the same reason.

The Styromelt machine from Taylors allows companies to save significant money on skip hire and lets local authority recycling centres stop sending polystyrene into landfill. It works by melting a two cubic metre load down into a small, dense and sterilised block of material. This block can be removed from the machine and easily stored.

Even better news is that the densified polystyrene blocks can be sold to recyclers to make new fuels or products such as garden furniture. According to Taylors, a Styromelt machine can pay for itself in less than a year. The owner can make big savings on disposal costs (skip hire) and actually make a profit selling the blocks.

Contact: Jon Young
E: jon.young@purexltd.co.uk


Back to top