Oregon's proposal to ban the use of polystyrene statewide last year has failed, meaning that there is only one way to reduce the amount of gas that enters landfills and incineration—that is, recycling.

But according to a new report released by the Oregon Environment Group on Thursday, despite the increase in the amount of waste generated per capita in the state, the state's overall recycling rate has been steadily declining and the situation is getting worse.



This does not mean that Oregon has no enthusiasm for recycling. The biggest obstacle to Oregon recycling: the lack of a complete recycling system. For many years, recycling in the United States has relied on Asian countries to process polystyrene waste, ignoring the establishment of its own complete recycling system, so most states do not have the capacity to incorporate polystyrene into urban recycling systems.

But California is an exception. California allows residents to throw polystyrene into roadside recycling bins. This is mainly because the California municipality has chosen to cooperate with the recycling company, which will accept the municipally collected polystyrene trash and then convert it into a hard polystyrene by a special polystyrene recycling machine.



For example, a polystyrene densifier M-C100, which compresses the polystyrene trash at a ratio of 90:1, and finally produces a polystyrene ingot similar to a solid brick. Polystyrene ingot, a hard polystyrene, will be sold as a commodity to the end market. For example, INTCO Recycling will purchase polystyrene ingot for photo frames and baseboards.



Recycling is a hot topic in the current global environment. If Oregon's recycling rate continues to decline, it may be possible to ease the pressure on the environment by reference to California's recycling model.