2019 Edition

In a world where we are all trying to lessen the impact we have on the environment, one of the most significant influences that seem almost unavoidable is plastic. Going plastic is virtually impossible as it infiltrates so many aspects of life. From a plastic casing on a smartphone, to a plastic computer keyboard, to eps packaging, it is hard for a day to go by without encountering plastic. The plastic I work with is EPS ( Expanded polystyrene ) , found in food containers, molded sheets for insulation and packing material either as solid blocks formed to accommodate the item being protected or as loose-fill “peanuts” cushioning fragile items inside boxes. It is astounding how much of it is in circulation – millions of tonnes are produced each year, and global demand is still growing. Polystyrene is slow to biodegrade and is therefore a focus of controversy among environmentalists. It is increasingly abundant as a form of litter in the outdoor environment, particularly along shores and waterways. Unfortunately many plastic applications are commonly regarded as disposable or for single use. I want to challenge throwaway culture by showing how much potential this plastic has. Nowadays the fastest and least expensive way to eliminate polystyrene is to incinerate it. The US National Bureau for Research on Fire Standards, however, detected 57 toxic chemicals released during the combustion of expanded polystyrene foam. One of the biggest problem with the recycle of EPS is that is not easy to store because its a bulky material. The initial idea to recycle this material was to try to reduce the volume making it easier to reuse. Through studies on solvents able to dissolve the polystyrene, I came to discover a natural solvent able to reduce of 30 times its volume. The EPS recovery process is easily transferable to industrial machinery. That’s why I designed a recycle line machine as you can see in the following attachments. The material created from polystyrene waste has the same properties as any other piece of 3/4 plastic. When dissolved with solvent, the fumes that are released are not harmful. Furthermore, the process has very low production costs. The solvent can be cleaned and reused up to 7 times, while the material can be recycled up to 4/5 times. Nobody can ever completely make plastic disappear from our planet. The only smart thing to do is try to stop the production of virgin plastic, trying to use, in a sustainable and intelligent way, the one that we find in the woods, on the streets or in the seas of the world. This project is currently under development and study.