What You do with Foam can Make a Difference
Polystyrene (PS) /ˌpɒliˈstaɪriːn/ is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer known as styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight.
“Polystyrene foam is a light weight material that can be blown by the wind out of garbage cans and landfills into storm drains and waterways, creating litter, polluting the water, and potentially causing harm to wildlife who mistakenly eat the material.”
Under ASTM standards, polystyrene is regarded as not biodegradable.
Recycling Your Polystyrene White Foam
We have this product in our lives all the time, from egg cartons to packing foam in boxes delivered to our homes or businesses. In most cases, we throw it out with the trash, which in turn goes to landfills or gets into our environment as litter.
As responsible caretakers of this planet, we have a solution to recycle this product. Box N Out® is the solution and has the means to recycle this product to be used again and again without the pollution to our environment.
1. Polystyrene (white) foam is non-biodegradable and will stay in our landfills and oceans for over 500 years. It fills up 25-30 % of landfill space globally.
2. Polystyrene (white) foam is bad for animals and marine life as it is often mistaken for food. Smaller pieces can be ingested and cause choking, especially in landfills.
3. Polystyrene (white) foam is a known contaminant and can be toxic when heated by fire or direct sunlight. Box N Out® has an environmentally safe process to repurpose the donated material.
4. Box N Out® makes it easy to donate your used packing foam. We can also offer customized solutions for businesses that find themselves with an abundance of Polystyrene (white) foam.
5. By donating your Polystyrene (white) foam, you are doing your part to fuel our mission to help those less fortunate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to EPA regulations, Box N Out® can accept any Polystyrene Foam that has not come into contact with food, liquid, or other contaminants.
Box N Out® can provide your business with a customized solution to process and store the Polystyrene (white) Foam you accumulate in between pick-ups. Contact us today so that we can learn more about your current volume and method of disposal.
Once we receive a donation of Polystyrene (white) Foam, the material goes through a densification process in which the air is removed from the foam. Once we have enough densified Polystyrene, we then ship the material directly to an end-user that repurposes the product.
Our process is environmentally safe. By densifying the Polystyrene, we are keeping the material out of our landfills and oceans. Also, because we have direct relationships with the end-users, less energy is used in transporting the product so that it can be repurposed.
Box N Out® can arrange a special pick-up if you find your storage space suddenly filled with Polystyrene (white) Foam. If you continue to accumulate large quantities, Box N Out® can offer a customized solution and a regular pick-up day convenient for you.
