Resin reference · Resin code 6
PS Polystyrene
PS & foam — Cassettes, hangers, dense foam (not wet foam).
- Resin code
- 6
- Density (g/cm³)
- 1,05
- Water test
- Sinks in water
- Accepted form
- Loose
What is PS
PS is the plastic that snaps rather than bends. A coat hanger that cracks with a sharp report and a cassette case that shatters into pointed shards are both PS. Solid PS sinks in water; its foamed form — polystyrene foam — is ninety-eight per cent air, so a full truck of it weighs very little and nearly always needs compacting at source first.
How to identify it without equipment
- Snaps with a sharp crack and a pointed edge instead of bending first.
- Solid PS sinks in water at around 1.05 g/cm³.
- Rings like thin metal when tapped.
Everyday items that carry it
- Cassette and CD cases, thin housings
- Coat hangers and disposable cutlery
- Dry polystyrene foam from electronics packaging
- Rigid single-use trays and containers
What it becomes after recycling
Ground PS becomes frame moulding, insulation board and simple mouldings. Foam is usually melted into ingots first so it is worth transporting.
What gets a load of it turned away
- Foam food containers that are greasy or wet.
- Soft mattress and seat foam — that is polyurethane, not PS.
- Foam already broken down into loose beads.
Holding material of this type?
This page covers how to identify and handle the resin. For questions about volume, form, or visiting the yard, get in touch directly.