ITDI—PPCP pact to recycle styrofoam

By MINDAFLOR T. BRANDARES
Senior SRS, ITDI

The Department of Science and Technology’s Industrial Technology Development Institute recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Polystyrene Packaging Council of the Philippines to work on the project called “Recycling of Post Consumer Foamed Polystyrene (FPS) using Locally Fabricated Melting Unit”. 

The signing was held at ITDI’s metrology conference room in Bicutan, Taguig, Metro Manila last June 3 followed by a press conference.

Under the contract, ITDI will design and fabricate a melting unit with stove and vessel to melt FPS and establish a mechanism to prevent gaseous emission.  FPS is commonly known as styrofoam, which is used as packing material for burgers, lunch packs, coffee, and an assortment of take-out food choices especially in the fast-food industry. 

Molten FPS could be made into tabletops, school chair armrest, and other functional items that may be combined with construction materials.  It can also be exported as intermediate raw material for further processing into consumer items.

Melting units will reduce the bulk of spent FPS materials from truckloads to drum sized blocks.  Melting units will be provided in strategic locations where FPS packs could be reduced in size before transforming these to functional items. 

Other than the obvious environment and economic benefits, the implementation of the project could minimize transportation cost in transferring materials from one location to another for final processing.