As part of the Future Girl Acts campaign organised by Girlguiding, Girlguiding Aberdeen has teamed up with Styropack Aberdeen to increase recycling of polystyrene in the Granite City.
“This is a unique partnership,” explained Georgina Rolfe, local lead volunteer for opportunities and training. “We are working with Styropack, a manufacturer that both makes and recycles polystyrene back into new boxes. Our task is to educate, inform and promote the recycling of polystyrene across Aberdeen.”
Rolfe went on to say that Styropack is putting a blue Girlguiding Aberdeen recycling bin in its car park to collect clean polystyrene for recycling into new products. Girlguiding Aberdeen will be promoting this in community groups, schools, churches and in their own homes.
The drive aims to highlight that polystyrene is 100% recyclable. The material is commonly used as insulation for such items as fish boxes and transplant organ packaging, and also as protection for white goods. As it is 98% air, polystyrene is both lightweight and has impressive insulative properties.
“Not many people know that it is 100% recyclable or that we can recycle it,” says Carol Lunan, site manager for Styropack Aberdeen. “We are working to increase the amount of recycled content in our products, but it is hard to do when polystyrene is not collected.
“That is why working with Girlguiding Aberdeen is such a great opportunity for us. It gets the message about the recyclability of polystyrene out to the younger generation, who really want to make a difference and have the energy and commitment to do something about it.”
The Girlguiding Aberdeen Polystyrene Recycling Point opened for business on 8 October at Styropack, Craigshaw Road, West Tullos Industrial Estate, Aberdeen AB12 3AS. If you have a large load of polystyrene, please call 01224 873 166 to arrange a drop off.