Starting with (my) Recycling of Styrofoam

Well, I stopped talking and started now recycling. My shredder is set up and running so I started with Recycling of the first recyclable material >> STYROFOAM. 

As said before, I am using it to make 'Styro-Clay' - a 100% recyclable material!! It is a mixture of shredded Styrofoam with a little bit clay as glue/binder. I use Styro-Clay to insulate walls (use it as a insulating 'stucco filling') like for cold storage/garage/work shop/insulate water tanks etc. The Styrofoam takes care of the insulation/air barrier, and the clay is the natural moisture regulator. Natural moisture regulator - something what you don't have with fibreglass/rock-wool or Styrofoam blocks/sheets/vapour barrier in walls. With these materials you just attract mold and have to kill it on the walls with toxic paints or used as now required forced air ventilation. 

An advantage of Styro-clay if you have to take down a 'Styro-Clay' insulated building/structure for any reason in the future break down the Styro-Clay vacuum it up and wet the 'Styro-Clay' again and you can reuse it again and again. Styrofoam/Styro-clay will last for many decades or more likely outlast you. There is no need that this building material (Styro-clay) is ending up at any landfill -ever!

You may have also heard of 'Styro-crete' or 'Hemp-crete' - a mixture of Styrofoam and concrete or hemp and concrete. Used not for load application but for insulation. The disadvantage here you can use this mixture only once. Plus the moisture regulation part is not as good -- not to mention the horrible carbon footprint of concrete. By the way you can find clay on most properties for free - if it is not to 'rocky'.

Another thing if you drop off Styrofoam at any Recycle BC location who knows what happen and it may end up being burned somewhere in Washington in a power plant. So I favour more my different way of 'carbon capture' thing. 

Hopefully in future the Thetis Solid waste/recycle yard or even Island Trust is open minded and help/join or 'join-venture' with active recycling on Thetis Island.

Well, if anyone has clean and dry Styrofoam as sheets/blocks/packing forms (sorry no egg carton or meat/food trays etc.!!) I'll take it and shred it.

Please contact me before dropping off anything.

Oh and if you like to actively join and make my life a little easier break up the Styrofoam into hand size pieces. ( I have only a small all-purpose shredder!!)

Thank you! 

Matthias

phone or text : 250-301-8499