Recycling your Polystyrene

Amgen Cymru manages 5 Community Recycling Centres across Rhondda Cynon Taff. The sites provide members of the public further methods of recycling their household waste (Please see Community Recycling Centres for more information). As a result, Amgen Cymru has been receiving large quantities of Polystyrene (EPS) on a daily basis. This quantity has recently been increased further with RCTCBC offering collection of polystyrene through its Kerbside recycling service. Polystyrene can be very costly to dispose of in landfill sites and the high volume combined with a very low weight makes transport for recycling uneconomical.

Amgen Cymru has recently installed a polystyrene press at its main site in Bryn Pica to compress the trays, etc into solid sections of compacted Polystyrene (EPS). Amgen Cymru has found that the polystyrene it collects could be reduced to a single pallet of compacted EPS—a reduction ratio of 15:1.

Prior to the press being installed all the waste was sent to landfill. Amgen Cymru now generates additional revenue by selling the compacted Polystyrene (EPS) to a recycler. It also contributes to local authority recycling targets and landfill diversion.

How can I recycle my polystyrene?

Kerbside recycling service – Polystyrene can now be placed into a seperate clear recycling bag provided free by RCTCBC, and placed alongside your other recyclable materials.

Community recycling centres – Polystyrene can now be accepted at all five of the community recycling centres where segregated areas are available for polystyrene collection.

Benefits of recycling Polystyrene:

· The polystyrene waste is no longer sent to landfill—cutting landfill tonnages and enhancing Amgen Cymru's environmental policy.

· With the Polystyrene now being recycled it increases Rhondda Cynon Taf and Amgen Cymru's recycling rates reaching closer to the government targets.