Solving the Mystery of Recycling Polystyrene
Katie-May Boyd
Monday, 1 July 2019
Expanded polystyrene - the rigid, lightweight stuff found in packaging - currently qualifies as a 100% recyclable material. So why is it not more widely accepted by recycling centres, and why is it being shipped abroad in large quantities? For a material used so prolifically in packaging, and with so many damaging effects on the environment, it’s time to find a solution to this plastic-waste mystery.
In this episode, we talk with Katie-May Boyd about her career transition from costume designer, to materials researcher, to a recycling revolutionary who is conquering the industry-wide challenge of polystyrene.
About the speaker:
Katie-May is the Founder and CEO of Styroloop, who has found a circular solution to the expanded polystyrene waste stream. Her research while studying on the Central Saint Martins MA Material Futures programme led to her graduate project "Foreign Garbage", which developed a recycling solution for EPS, transforming it into high value goods. Katie was a finalist in the Mayor of London Mayor's Entrepreneur Competition for 2019.
Find Katie at:
Instagram: @katiemayboydcreative
In this video you'll learn:
- The “recycling problem” of polystyrene and how a university project led to a brand new sustainable business
- Katie’s mission to close the production loop of expanded polystyrene in the UK
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