Styrofoam, plastic foam and other polystyrenes are designated as plastic No. 6, but many recycling programs that accept plastic No. 6 specifically exclude Styrofoam. EPS foams contain a lot of air, which is why they are good insulators. However, the extra air makes them hard to ship. Once the Styrofoam has been melted down and the air removed, little plastic is recovered compared to other polystyrenes such as those used in DVD cases. The resources required to ship and process the EPS offsets the environmental benefits of recycling to a greater degree than denser plastics. Continue reading
The crafting purposes of Styrofoam balls are largely varied. Styrofoam balls are spherical forms of polystyrene foam that come in sizes from one inch (2.54 cm) to eight inches (20.3 cm) in diameter. They are sturdy and can be cut to fit a project or can be used in conjunction with other Styrofoam shapes, such as blocks, cones, or rings to accomplish a variety of dimensional projects.
In the generic use of the term, Styrofoam has gotten a bad rap for its undesirable environmental impact as a non-biodegradable product. However, the Syrofoam balls are made from recycled extruded polystyrene. Examples of craft ideas for which Styrofoam balls are commonly used include science fair planetariums and other projects, Christmas tree ornaments and other holiday decorations, and artificial floral arrangements. There are, however, a plethora of other projects that could be created using Styrofoam balls and other shapes.
What exactly is Styrofoam? What are the different Styrofoam properties? In this article, we shall learn about the physical and chemical properties of Styrofoam.
Styrofoam, commonly known as ‘polystyrene’ is one of the most widely used type of plastics, is an inexpensive and hard plastic that use in a number of applications. The outside housing of computer, housings of most kitchen appliances, model cars and airplanes, toys, molded parts in cars are all made of Styrofoam. It is also made in the form of foam that is used for packaging and insulating.
Benzene is extracted from coal, but is also found in gasoline (2% present in U.S. gas and 5% present in gas from developing countries).
Working in the coal mines has always been known of as a very hazardous job.The extraction of coal is very hard on the natural environment. The earth distributed around the mine from deep inside is virtually dead in that it cannot support plant life. This leads to erosion of the land even long after the mine has been closed for use. Continue reading
Reducing waste is an important priority for the Styrofoam packaging industry. There are four main options:
- Reduce – reducing the natural resources used through waste conscious pack design.
- Re-use – a simple re-use of Styrofoam packaging is to break it up and use it as soil conditioner in pots or window boxes to improve drainage and aeration.