Bentonville inventor Sean Stephan has come up with a vanishing act for the ubiquitous foam coffee cups, takeout boxes and packing materials that inundate landfills, sewer drains and roadways.
Stephan has developed an orange oil-based solution that dissolves polystyrene foam before your eyes.
The solution is then separated from the resulting polymer using gravity. The solution is reused for the next batch, while the polymer is recycled for asphalt mixes, shrink wrap, or composite for construction materials.
Polystyrene is most commonly known by the brand name Styrofoam. The foam material is great at keeping drinks hot or cold without “sweating,� and at cushioning merchandise during shipment.
Unfortunately, burning it can create harmful fumes. Waste managers estimate polystyrene takes up 25-35 percent of overall landfill space, and they believe it takes 500 years to begin degrading.
No comments yet.