PSRA: A Call to Action for the Polystyrene Industry
By Tim Barnette
Vice President - Polymers & Sustainability at AmSty
The future for polystyrene has never been brighter as a collaborative, innovative movement is charting a new course for our industry.
While polystyrene is an essential material that enhances our lives every day in important ways – food packaging, home insulation, appliances, medical applications and even safety gear like bike helmets – the misconception persists that polystyrene isn't recyclable. That's simply not true and the new Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA) is taking the lead to correct this false narrative.
PSRA brings together the polystyrene and expandable polystyrene industries for the first time in history. The coalition has been built to martial resources and organize to achieve a North Star goal of greater than 60% recycling access for everyday citizens of our country for these important products that benefit them in so many ways. The end game is clear – to enable widely available and widely utilized recycling capability for our industry's products.
Building From a Strong Base
To help guide this mission and allow us to make targeted investments, PSRA partnered with Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) to conduct a baseline recycling access study. What did it find? That 105 million Americans, roughly one in three, already have access to recycle one or more types of polystyrene. And, thanks to emerging recycling technologies and increased capacity, the study estimates that by the end of this decade, one-half to two-thirds of Americans could have access to recycle polystyrene.
So, we're creating a path to build on what's already happening with polystyrene and expandable polystyrene recycling. It's further along than most people know or understand. Thanks to advancements in recycling technology, post-use polystyrene and expandable polystyrene can and will be repurposed into even more new consumer products than ever before. We are at a turning point; PSRA will amplify and explain this in a very concise way.
A Unified Vision
This PSRA collaboration signifies a watershed moment, where shared commitment and expertise converge to create real change. For the first time in our industry, brands, converters, recyclers and manufacturers have united for a common mission.
The roadmap laid out by RRS offers a strategic guide for achieving our goals. It highlights key areas for innovation, infrastructure investments and partnerships. By building on the current momentum, we're charting a path to make polystyrene and expanded polystyrene recycling the norm.
Achieving our recycling goals will require a multi-faceted approach:
- Innovation: Continuing to pursue cutting-edge technologies to enhance the efficiency and reach of polystyrene recycling.
- Investments: Targeting funding where it can have the most impact, such as in collection, sorting and processing infrastructure.
- Partnerships: Engaging the entire value chain – from manufacturers to recyclers – to ensure cohesive and effective action.
A Call to Action
Polystyrene is an inherently recyclable material that can be recycled repeatedly without compromising quality, both in solid and in expanded products. This characteristic positions it as a leading climate solution in a host of important applications. Lightweight, rigid and versatile, polystyrene and expandable polystyrene offer significant benefits across a range of industries.
PSRA is committed to making polystyrene and expandable polystyrene widely recyclable. But we can't do it alone. As we work toward our North Star goal, the commitment and collaboration of all stakeholders will be crucial. Your voice matters. By embracing innovation and driving investment, we can ensure that polystyrene remains in circulation and out of the environment.
The time is now to act. The technology exists, the roadmap is clear, and the momentum is building.
If you're interested in learning more, I encourage you to visit psrecycling.org.