Manchester University has become the first in the UK and the World to acquire and embrace TCG's Styromelt Technology for Polystyrene (EPS) recycling on its main City Centre Campus
Manchester University House Services are now able to collect polystyrene packaging* in the same way as they collect cardboard.
Polystyrene will be returned to the Environmental Services Unit Depot where it will be treated using a #Styromelt thermal compaction unit operated by Campus Cleansing. It will then be collected and re-processed by UK based recyclers who process it into pellets, after which, it is mainly used for making insulation products, or items such as seed trays, picture frames and garden furniture.
Where lab staff dispose of polystyrene items themselves, they are requested to dispose of these using the existing cardboard collection facilities across campus where it will be collected by Campus Cleansing.
If large amounts of polystyrene needs collecting due to deliveries etc, please contact CCU direct (x52246 - 24 hr. answerphone).
*only EPS polystyrene can be recycled.
What can/can’t be recycled is detailed below.
We have found that some types of EPS (blue extruded polystyrene) are not suitable for the thermal compaction unit we use so cannot be recycled. If you have any specialist polystyrene you would like to recycle please contact the Waste Co-ordinator on x65963 to check if it is suitable.
What can be recycled:
EPS polystyrene packaging
Polystyrene boxes/container's
What can’t be recycled:
Contaminated Polystyrene cups, plates and cutlery
Contaminated Polystyrene foam food trays/containers
Loose fill/polystyrene chips
Clear/hard polystyrene containers
Some coloured (black and grey) polystyrene containers as these have fire retardants in
