Why Don't We Recycle Styrofoam?

Name: Why Don't We Recycle Styrofoam?
Uploaded: 2015-05-14T21:19:59.000Z
Description: In Speaking of Chemistry, host Sophia Cai explains that EPS actually can be recycled, but the prohibitive costs have prompted cities to ban the pesky product instead.

In Speaking of Chemistry, host Sophia Cai explains that EPS actually can be recycled, but the prohibitive costs have prompted cities to ban the pesky product instead.

May 14, 2015

It’s common practice to recycle paper, glass, and many plastics—in fact, about 35 percent of the trash produced in the U.S. is recycled or composted. So why can’t we recycle what’s commonly referred to as Styrofoam? (It’s actually expanded polystyrene, or EPS—a bit different!) In episode 19 of Speaking of Chemistry, host Sophia Cai explains that EPS actually can be recycled, but the prohibitive costs have prompted cities to ban the pesky product instead.