Polystyrene

You can now drop off expanded polystyrene (EPS) for free recycling at our Community Recycling Centre.

EPS is a solid form of polystyrene often found in packaging, especially for electrical items, household appliances and furniture. This is one of many types of polystyrene, and not all kinds are accepted for recycling.

How to tell if it's EPS

• Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is usually used for packaging, especially household appliances, electrical items, and furniture
• It's a lightweight foam due to its high air content (98% air)
• EPS is rigid, typically white, and snaps easily when bent

How to prepare EPS for recycling

• Make sure your polystyrene is clean and dry
• Remove any sticky tape or plaster off the polystyrene and put this in your red lid bin

When you get to the Community Recycling Centre, the polystyrene drop-off area is next to the cardboard compactor. Ask the staff in hi-vis jackets for directions. If you arrive in a trailer, please follow the directional signs and drive around the back of the building to the dedicated area for cars with trailers.

Types of polystyrene not accepted

Please note that we cannot accept the following types of polystyrene for recycling:

Example image	Description
	Pool noodles
	Food packaging
	Foam wrapping
	Packing peanuts

The above items should be placed in your red lid bin.

Note that no types of polystyrene can be recycled in your yellow lid bin.

What happens to recycled polystyrene?

The EPS is placed into a Hot Melter machine which condenses it to a 100th of its size, in small solid sausage shapes. These are then baled and sent away for further processing.

Eventually the recycled polystyrene can be turned into a range of items like bathroom, kitchen and flooring products, construction products and picture frames.

Recycling EPS will reduce the demand on our landfill space and should help reduce the amount of polystyrene litter that ends up in our waterways.