Importance of Polystyrene Awareness in South Africa

Polystyrene awareness is important for several reasons:

It is a cost-effective and safe food packaging material.
Recycling of polystyrene can be done up to 20 times.
With recycling the material can be compressed up to 40% of its original volume.
Recycled material is used in the making of curtain rails and photo frames.
With recycling of the material, the environmental footprint is kept at a minimum.
Job creation is another spin-off associated with recycling.
It is a durable product, known for its stability ensuring that it doesn’t lose shape with the application of warm water, making it ideal as a beverage holder.
It is also used in the insulation of buildings.
Not only is it one of the most flexible packaging materials, but it is also used in a wide variety of other applications.

The Polystyrene Packaging Council, known in short as the PSPC, endeavours to promote polystyrene awareness in South Africa through effective information supply, competitions and adverts. The projects are aimed at informing consumers about the benefits of the product as well as why recycling of polystyrene is so important.

Sponsorship and Support

The PSPC is funded by industry players, showing their support for responsible production, distribution and ultimately recycling of the product. Most of the polystyrene packaging products are manufactured locally, which in turn also means economical growth, job creation, and less capital outflow to foreign countries.

Pretoria Recycling

In Pretoria, the first recycling effort was initiated by the PSPC and Allied Recyclers in 2009. With press releases, competitions and additional information at the PSPC website, polystyrene awareness in the city has grown tremendously.

Polystyrene awareness has also been gained through exhibitions such as the Natural & Organic Products Exhibition where the PSPC had a stall. Information is shared at such exhibits to increase awareness of the material. Consumers learn that polystyrene is indeed a plastic that can be recycled like many other plastics. The PSPC is still actively involved in setting up and helping consumers find out how and where they can recycle the material.

Although polystyrene is used just about everywhere, from the office environment to schools, camps, the hi-tech world and at home, most consumers only think of it as food packaging. From egg trays to CD cases, seedling trays, and electronic buffer products are made from polystyrene. The material has made it possible to protect valuable appliances in boxes against damage during transportation.

Polystyrene awareness in the Cape came even before that of Gauteng when recycling efforts were jump started in 2008. It is essential for all schools, government institutions, tertiary education facilities, and food retail outlets to promote recycling of the product and to become actively involved in provision of information about the versatile material. South Africans realising that the throw away culture indeed costs the country money, have already joined hands with industry players and recycling companies to improve recycling awareness.
The PSPC continues to promote polystyrene awareness and should you require more information about recycle points and facts about the material simply view the website where new information is added on a regular basis.