Styrofoam is one of the most frequently generated garbage in our daily lives. When you want to dispose of Styrofoam, have you ever been in trouble because you don’t know how to dispose of it? This time, I will introduce how to dispose of Styrofoam for such people.
What kind of waste is styrofoam?
In our daily life, we inevitably generate garbage, and among them, Styrofoam is the one that frequently appears in the garbage. They come in a variety of sizes and uses, such as the food trays that come with meat purchases, and the large box-shaped cushioning materials that come with home appliances. However, many people do not know how to throw it away. What kind of garbage is Styrofoam classified as?
plastic waste
Styrofoam is mainly divided into two categories for disposal, and each municipality has a different way of disposing of Styrofoam waste. Nationwide, many local governments collect plastic products, and the reason for this is that polystyrene is made from a plastic component called “polystyrene.” It simply means “dispose of plastic products as plastic waste”.
Combustible waste
Another category is combustible waste. Styrofoam, which is plastic, is sometimes classified as combustible garbage as a combustible material. Some local governments minimize the separation classification to eliminate the hassle of taking out garbage, or collect it all together due to the number of garbage trucks. Originally, it would be desirable to separate combustible waste from plastic waste, but this is difficult for some local governments.
How to dispose of Styrofoam (1) Municipalities
Now, I will explain how to actually dispose of Styrofoam and how to dispose of it. First, check with your local government to see if you can collect them. Look at the pamphlet of the municipality that describes how to dispose of garbage, check what kind of classification Styrofoam is classified in, and dispose of it according to the instructions. Municipalities can dispose of garbage free of charge, so check it out first.
How to dispose of Styrofoam (2) Recycle box
Styrofoam can also be disposed of by having it collected in a recycling box. Many stores collect used Styrofoam such as food trays, and collection boxes are set up near the store entrance. If you’re having trouble disposing of it at home, bring some styrofoam with you when you go shopping. The probability of recycling garbage is high, and it is environmentally friendly and kills two birds with one stone. Please note that the rules for how to put out items differ depending on the store.
Read Also: Effect and how to use the futon dryer
How to dispose of Styrofoam (3) Municipal waste disposal facility
If you have a large home appliance or furniture delivery and you have a large amount of box-shaped styrofoam or large garbage, it is a good idea to bring it to the city’s garbage disposal facility. It takes a little time, but it is recommended when you want to dispose of garbage all at once. Check the disposal facility on the homepage of the municipality and bring in the garbage by yourself. You can take out the garbage regardless of the collection day of the municipality, and there are some places where you can pick up the garbage for free, so let’s inquire by phone first.
How to dispose of Styrofoam (4) Unnecessary item collection company
If you have a problem with disposal, such as a large amount of garbage, or a box-shaped styrofoam itself that is too large to bring to the collection site, you can pick up the garbage at a company that collects unwanted items. It is recommended that you ask for There is no need to dispose of the garbage yourself, and it can be cleaned up at once. You may want to search the internet.
How to dispose of Styrofoam ⑤ Specialists
If the Styrofoam is clean and free of dirt, it can be sold to a specialized dealer. Styrofoam is often required as a material in the construction industry and plastic product manufacturing industry, and it can be recycled by having a special contractor take it over. What we put out as garbage is reborn as a new resource, and it turns into money. Vendors can be found on the internet or in city brochures.
How to dispose of large styrofoam
Even after learning how to sort and dispose of Styrofoam that has become garbage, many people have been struggling to put out the garbage on the collection day of the local government, but the Styrofoam is too big to put in the garbage bag. Isn’t it? Styrofoam is often used as a cushioning material and is often left behind as large boxes or large garbage. Here, we will introduce how to send such large garbage to the local government for collection.
fold with bare hands to make smaller
First, to dispose of a large piece of styrofoam, you need to make it smaller. In many cases, local governments cannot collect garbage that is not properly put in the garbage bag, so there are surprisingly many people who have the experience of putting it in the garbage and having a notice stuck on it saying, “Please put it in the garbage bag and put it out again.” is. If it’s not that thick and you can break it with your bare hands, you can break up the styrofoam into small pieces and put it in the garbage bag. Be careful not to injure yourself.
Use a dedicated electric cutter
Styrofoam has the characteristic of being weak against heat. Due to its characteristics, special electric cutters that use heat to cut styrofoam are on the market. This electric cutter can cut styrofoam easily even if you don’t have the strength, so it is recommended for women with weak strength. In addition, it has the advantage that small pieces that are easy to come out when cut are less likely to come out. Electric special cutters can be purchased inexpensively at home centers and electronics stores.
Use a dedicated manual cutter
There are also electric cutters on the market, but some people may be afraid of electric cutters. Manual cutters for styrofoam are sold so that even such people can cut with confidence. It is one size larger than a normal cutter and reduces the unpleasant squeaking sound when cutting. You can easily cut not only styrofoam, but also thin wood and cardboard, so it’s worth having one.
Things you can do before throwing away styrofoam
I think that people who used to dispose of Styrofoam as burnable garbage can now understand how to dispose of it. Now that you know how to dispose of Styrofoam, you should be able to dispose of Styrofoam without worrying about it. Finally, I would like to introduce the points that you should check before throwing away.
Check for dirt
Styrofoam is often used as food trays. Before throwing away such food-related items, make sure they are clean. For example, if you dispose of the tray without washing it after buying ready-made meals, it may not only cause a bad smell, but also stain other clean Styrofoam. Even just rinsing it with water will increase the chances of it being recycled.
At the end
If you have read this far, do you know how to dispose of Styrofoam, which was ambiguous until now? By correctly sorting and disposing of Styrofoam using the method introduced here, we can contribute to solving the garbage problem that has been featured in the news in recent years. Please try this method from today.