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A mini-review on expanded polystyrene waste recycling and its applications
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This mini-review summarizes recycling technologies and emerging applications for expanded polystyrene waste, examining mechanical, chemical, and dissolution recycling methods and their practical feasibility for diverting EPS from landfill in both developed and developing countries.
Over the years, waste recycling has been a growing concern among many nations of the world, especially in developing countries. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used in electrical/electronic appliances as a shock absorber and constitutes a reasonable percentage of the entire plastic waste. There are three methods of recycling expanded polystyrene: mechanical, chemical, and thermal recycling; each of the above methods gives rise to different products that are used in different applications. Expanded polystyrene is used as a binder in emulsion paint as a replacement for conventional binders; as a component of asphalt used in road construction; as a component of wood plastic composites; as a blend with silica and in concrete to produce lightweight construction material. This article studied the various applications of recycled polystyrene waste from mechanical, chemical, and thermal methods of waste recycling.
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This study developed an integrated approach for managing expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste from coastal cleanup activities, including collection, treatment, and incorporation into cement-based building materials. Reusing EPS waste from beaches reduces the amount of plastic that breaks down into microplastics in marine environments.
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This review surveys promising approaches for upcycling polystyrene waste, covering both mechanical and thermochemical recycling routes developed over the past five years. Researchers found that no single technology is fully effective on its own, but hybrid approaches combining multiple methods show the highest potential for creating a circular economy for polystyrene. The study also explores connections to emerging technologies including 3D printing, vertical farming, and green hydrogen production.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.