University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Receives Grant to Launch Styrofoam Recycling Project

Because EPS waste isn’t currently accepted by local recycling programs, it goes into landfills.

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): With more than 250 labs, the College of Medicine has an international reputation in biomedical research. But with that comes more than 900 pounds of EPS waste per month — more than five tons a year. The waste is primarily the result of the research labs ordering supplies and then receiving many temperature-sensitive and perishable items such as antibodies, hormones and reagents shipped in styrofoam containers and cushioned with packing peanuts. Because EPS waste isn’t currently accepted by local recycling programs, it goes into landfills.

“It’s high time for such a program,” said Ana Luisa Kadekaro, PhD, associate research professor and clinical trials manager in the Department of Dermatology, who spearheaded this effort and is the principal investigator of the grant. “We are going to lead the way in the College of Medicine and start taking steps in the right direction.” Eco Development, a company headquartered in Mason, Ohio, offers the state’s first styrofoam/EPS consumer drop-off program. Eco Development compresses and densifies EPS to turn it into blocks, then sells the material to other companies in the U.S. and overseas for reuse in insulation or other styrofoam products. Reusing existing styrofoam keeps it out of landfills and also reduces the need for styrene, a highly volatile liquid used to make plastics and rubber.

The college will establish this recycling program for materials that are traditionally difficult to recycle by way of a $53,600 Hamilton County Recycling ReSource Impact grant, with UC and the college providing an additional $13,400 in matching funds. After the waste is hauled from UC to Mason, Eco Development will reimburse the college a small amount per ton of styrofoam received.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com

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