Plastic dinnerware, travel coffee mugs, serving dishes, and packing material have, for decades, been an important part of our convenient, low-cost consumer society.

Polystyrene is, however, one of most dangerous modern creations: largely imperishable and taking more than 500 years to decompose, all the while leaching harmful chemicals into the environment.

This problematic chemical compound is now the focus of a pilot recycling initiative in Wellington aiming to remove as much of it as possible from the local environment.

The Polystyrene Recycling Trial started recently at Wellington Waste Facility with transfer stations also located in local villages allowing ratepayers to drop off their polystyrene waste in 'Foam Muncher' bins at each sites. The polystyrene must be clean and free of any tape or other materials.

The polystyrene collected will then be transferred to the Whylandra Waste and Recycling Station where a Foam Muncher vehicle comes onsite and melts the polystyrene into blocks. These blocks are then transported to manufacturers to turn into a variety of new products, such as skirting boards, flooring, picture frames and railway sleepers.

The Polystyrene Recycling Program is now a permanent fixture at Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre in Dubbo after a successful trial earlier this year.

“We were really happy with the results from the trial at the Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre which is now continuing the recycling program,” Resource Recovery and Efficiency Manager for Dubbo Council Jamie Lobb said.

“We are excited to be able to further expand the trial to both Wellington and the village transfer stations and increase the opportunity to recycle this material,” he added.

Under the 2040 Community Strategic Plan, council is committed to reducing our environmental footprint and impact on the environment through waste management processes.

Polystyrene is a type of plastic made from oil, which is a non-renewable resource. Despite 98 per cent of the plastic packaging being air, polystyrene takes up large amounts of space in landfills where it can easily be blown away and enter and harm our natural environment.

More than 71,000 tonnes of polystyrene is produced and used each year in Australia, with 85 per cent of the product going to landfills.

The Polystyrene Recycling Trial will operate for three months and then will be assessed to determine potential for continuation at Wellington and the transfer stations.