After finishing off your morning coffee, you stop by the recycling bins to dispose of your plastic cup. That’s when you see the symbol “#6” printed on the bottom of the cup. Standing there, you can’t help but wonder, “Which bin do I drop this in?”
The symbol “6” means Styrofoam cups. Americans throw away an astonishing 25 billion Styrofoam cups each and every year. Polystyrene languishes in landfills indefinitely, taking at least 500 years – and possibly much longer – to decompose. Recycling is clearly a far better option.
Therefore, the question is coming. Is it possible to recycle Styrofoam cups?
The first thing to do is call your local recycling center to find out whether they accept #6 plastics. Be sure to ask specifically whether polystyrene cups are acceptable, as some recyclers don’t take them due to contamination. But if they don’t accept Styrofoam, you may have to get a little more creative in your efforts to dispose of them in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Check Earth911.com to find out whether there’s a polystyrene recycling drop-off site located in your area. If a drop-off site isn’t available, you can use a mail-in program such as that offered by the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers.
Last but not least, if you have large amount of single-use cups, you can find a machine to recycle Styrofoam. The screw compactor GREENMAX is a specialist which can cut disposable cups into small pieces and compact them. In this way, the ratio of compacted foam is 50:1. It will be more easily to package, store in warehouse and transport by truck.
Of course, until these new options are widely available, it’s best to avoid using Styrofoam cups when possible. Try to bring a reusable cup wherever you go, or look for some of the eco-friendly cup options that are now available in many locations.