Expanded Polystyrene

[mjr]

You could also burn it, since you have a woodburner, and it is just a hydrocarbon.

You never know what other junk they've mixed with it, though.

[PDQ Mobile]

Burning polystyrene is a disgusting and anti-social thing to do.
I think it is also illegal, on or in any domestic burner. It is illegal to do so in many European countries ( and probably in the UK) except in super high temperature waste incinerators.

It smells truly vile and releases a number of carcinogenic chemicals.

A quick Google will confirm this.
.....
Crushed into small particles it is a valuable and stable insulating material.
Insulate the shed?

[Abradable Chin]

It smells truly vile and releases a number of carcinogenic chemicals.

A quick Google will confirm this.

Similar effects to burning wood, then. My quick visit to Wikipedia suggest no one can say with any authority, although it wouldn't surprise anyone since most things are carninogenic, including cooked food and working night shifts.

[PDQ Mobile]

Similar effects to burning wood, then. My quick visit to Wikipedia suggest no one can say with any authority, although it wouldn't surprise anyone since most things are carninogenic, including cooked food and working night shifts.

Not so.

Really dry untreated wood combusted with sufficient air produces very little smoke except in the initial start up phase.
It is a wonderful and efficient fuel. Emphasis upon dry!!
Smells delicious.
Fantastic sustainable rural fuel. No toxicity in the ash either but rather a useful fertilizer.

Though in urban situations still too polluting probably. Then there's the transport costs so it makes little sense. Treated woods are also bad.

All plastics produce toxic chemicals when incompletely burnt (google) at the lower temperatures available in domestic burners.
The ash is toxic for the soil too.
And they all smell absolutely foul.
I detest the smell of burning plastic.
Totally antisocial.
Put it in the rubbish where it belongs.
Or even better recycle it.

[mjr]

Burning polystyrene is a disgusting and anti-social thing to do.
I think it is also illegal, on or in any domestic burner. It is illegal to do so in many European countries ( and probably in the UK) except in super high temperature waste incinerators.

It smells truly vile and releases a number of carcinogenic chemicals.

Gosh, it's awful. https://www.ehow.com/info_8313527_dange ... ofoam.html

COSHH sheets say incineration is not allowed and various gov.uk sites assert that burning plastics is an offence under both the Environment Act and Clean Air Act, with many more like https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/environme ... fire-faqs/ flat out saying not to burn plastics.

[Mick F]

Just had one of my fortnightly injections.
The pens arrive by courier every three months in a polystyrene box with ice blocks.
The ice blocks are cheap plastic bottles of frozen water and can be recycled easily with other plastic bottles.

We put the freezer blocks into the freezer, but just having a clear-out and assessment of what's in there, we decided we didn't need the blocks, so put them in a bowl of water to defrost them.

They don't have a screw top, so I drilled a hole in one of them at both ends to drain out the water ........................ except it's not water.
It seems to be a glycerine substance, so we can't even recycle these blocks!
There are another three.

I'll be getting in touch with these people - Fresenius Medical Care ..............

I actually didn't do this, as they phoned to book the next delivery and Mrs Mick F took the call, and she mentioned the polystyrene issue.
They got back to us a couple of days ago, and they sent a courier to collect it yesterday. They said that they will reuse them.

Damned right too.

I wonder if other people have been getting on to them about this?