| Environmental Columns
Polystyrene at its best!
A versatile material with many applications, polystyrene is one of the most commonly used industrial plastics in everyday life and is found in packaging and insulation. Although it is 100% recyclable, it is recovered in only 35% of Canadian cities.
In an effort to reduce its ecological footprint by limiting the amount of waste sent to landfills, the City of Pointe-Claire has set up a permanent collection point for polystyrene since January 2016 in the Public Works parking lot (50 Terra-Cotta Avenue).
External companies then recycle, reuse, and transform polystyrene waste in several ways to create:
- urban furniture, such as picnic tables, benches, and flower pots;
- granular fill insulation;
- insulating construction panels.
The furniture that is created is made of a new type of concrete containing up to 50% polystyrene.
Polystyrene |
Picnic table made of recycled polystyrene |
There are two categories of items that are accepted:
Expanded polystyrene
- Styrofoam cups
- Coolers
- Protective packaging for electronic and household appliances
Extruded polystyrene
- Disposable plates and bowls
- Egg packaging
- Fast-food containers
- Trays for meat, fish, and poultry
Permanent collection point at 50 Terra-Cotta Avenue
Some important things to keep in mind:
- To avoid contaminating the waste, make sure that you clean your containers.
- Labels, adhesive tape, and absorbent pads must be removed.
- Rigid polystyrene is not accepted at the collection point. This material is used in food packaging, utensils, yogurt containers, drinking cups, and clear bakery and produce containers.
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