Introduction

One of the major problems that our country faces is the continuous problem concerning
environmental conditions. Pollution disrupts the balance in nature and puts the entire biosphere
in great peril. In addition, this environmental crisis also causes disturbing increasing rate of
global warming that may inflict terrifying catastrophes in the future if remains unsolved. This is
due to the invention and grateful use of plastics and other non-biodegradable materials like
styrofoam which are not readily decomposed.
Thus, the problem in waste management exists. Nevertheless, the government is doing its
best to remedy the problem, like the massive campaign for waste management segregation of
biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. Apparently, not everyone is cooperating and
obeying this. Thus, the waste management purpose is defeated. In fact, studies reveal that 30% of
the non-biodegradable wastes like Styrofoam threaten more of our environment.
Styrofoam as waste continues to exist because many of our food are packed in the
Styrofoam, especially during occasions like Christmas Party, Birthday Party, Retirement Party,
and Graduation Day. After these occasions, lots of Styrofoam became wastes. In addition, during
school occasion, teachers made use of Styrofoam as decoration on stage, its trimmings
afterwards became waste and eye sores in school.
With these, pupils with the supervision of their science teacher thought of ways on they
can make use of these Styrofoam trimmings and waste into another useful material or how they
can recycle these into another decorative materials. In this way, burning and disposing of
Styrofoam will be avoided and prevent causes harmful gases on our ozone layer.
This prompted the researchers to conduct this study. We would like to produce an indoor
decorative pot from Styrofoam products and combine it with other indigenous materials like
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kusot from rice. The ultimate goal of this study is to spread out campaign for zero waste
management at Matalaba Elementary School.

Objectives of the Study

General Objective
The study was conducted to determine the possibility of producing another
material out of Styrofoam. If proven possible and feasible, it could be of great help to our
environment, specifically our school to make it environment friendly school.
Specific Objective
Specifically, it aimed to produce indoor decorative pots from Styrofoam with our
indigenous materials to make more appealing as decoration.
Statement of the Problem
1. Is there a feasibility of producing indoor decorative materials for pots from Styrofoam
products?
2. Is there a possibility that Styrofoam be mixed with indigenous materials to be made
into an indoor decorative materials for pots?

Significance of the Study

Given the underlying assumptions that Styrofoam once burned can bring harmful effects
to our ozone layer, it is significant that this should be recycled and made into a useful material
that is friendly to our environment.
Primarily, results of this study may bring significance to our environment. Trimmings of
styrofoams and other products made of styrofoams which are considered waste in the
environment would be recycled and be made into another useful product. In this way, wastes
from non-biodegradable materials will be lessened.
Results of this investigation may also give significance to school, pupils, and teachers.
School would be freed from non-biodegradable wastes, pupils would be taught of the importance
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of recycling of wastes materials by their teachers. Teaches would help develop and instil selfreliance and innovativeness among pupils, shaping and moulding their pupils as environmentfriendly individuals.

Scope and Limitations

This study focused only to the feasibility of the Styrofoam products and Styrofoam
trimmings and other indigenous materials like kusot of rice to produce an indoor decorative
pots as alternative to the commercial ones.
This study was conducted from September to October at the School Science Laboratory
where apparatuses for the experiment were present.
The reasons for the choice of the experimental site were as follows: (1) it is the science
laboratory of the school where researchers are studying; (2) it has the complete laboratory
facilities where materials and apparatuses used in the experiment are present and; (3) the place
could guarantee peace, order and convenience for the smooth flow and investigation of the study.
This study focused on the production indoor decorative material which is the prime
project to maintain Zero Waste Management.

Hypothesis
Dissolved Styrofoam products can be mixed to indigenous material to produce an indoor
decorative materials for pot.

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Review of Related Literature

Styrofoam or Polystyrene is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a
liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. Polystyrene is
one of the most widely used plastics, the scale being several billion kilograms per year. It is a
thermoplastic substance that is solid state at room temperature, but flows if heated above its glass
transition temperature of about 100 C, and becomes solid again when cooled. Pure solid
polystyrene is a colorless, hard plastic with limited flexibility. It can be cast into molds with fine
detail. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to take on various colors (Natta &
Corradini, 1960).
In chemical terms, polystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon wherein alternating carbon
centers are attached to phenyl groups, a name given to the aromatic ring benzene. Polystyrene's
chemical formula is (C8H8)n; indicating that it contains the chemical elements carbon and
hydrogen. Polystyrenes properties are determined by short range van der Waals attractions
between polymers chains. Since the molecules are long hydrocarbon chains that consist of
thousands of atoms, the total attractive force between the molecules is large. When heated or,
equivalently, deformed at a rapid rate, due to a combination of viscoelastic and thermal
insulation properties, the chains are able to take on a higher degree of conformation and slide
past each other. This intermolecular weakness versus the high intramolecular strength due to the
hydrocarbon backbone confers flexibility and elasticity. The ability of the system to be readily
deformed above its glass transition temperature allows polystyrene and thermoplastic polymers
in general to be readily softened and molded upon heating (Maul et al., 2007)
A more common name given to polystyrene is Styrofoam, which in truth is actually a
brand name. Because of its inherent lightweight characteristic, Styrofoam has found many
household and industrial applications. Companies produce Styrofoam building materials,
including insulated sheathing and pipe insulation. Styrofoam insulation has been used in many
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notable buildings and facilities in North America. They also produce Styrofoam as a structural
material for use by florists and in craft products. Dow insulation Styrofoam has a distinctive blue
color; Styrofoam for craft applications is available in white and green. Styrofoam can be used
under roads and other structures to prevent soil disturbances due to freezing and thawing (The
Dow Chemical Company, 1995)
Just like other issues directly linked to the by-products of petroleum, polystyrene also
raised environmental concerns about its disposal. Discarded polystyrene does not biodegrade for
hundreds of years and is resistant to photolysis (Bandyopadhyay and Basak, 2007). Because of
this stability, very little of the waste discarded in today's modern, highly engineered landfills
biodegrades. Because degradation of materials creates potentially harmful liquid and gaseous byproducts that could contaminate groundwater and air, today's landfills are designed to minimize
contact with air and water required for degradation, thereby practically eliminating the
degradation of waste (Rathje and Murphy, 1989).
Polystyrene foam is a major component of plastic debris in the ocean, where it becomes
toxic to marine life. Foamed polystyrene blows in the wind and floats on water, and is abundant
in the outdoor environment. Polystyrene foams are produced using blowing agents that form
bubbles and expand the foam. In expanded polystyrene, these are usually hydrocarbons such as
pentane, which may pose a flammability hazard in manufacturing or storage of newly
manufactured material, but have relatively mild environmental impact. However, extruded
polystyrene is usually made with hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) blowing agents which have
effects on ozone depletion and on global warming. Their ozone depletion potential is greatly
reduced relative to chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) which were formerly used, but their global
warming potential can be on the order of 1000 or more, meaning it has 1000 times greater effect

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on global warming than does carbon dioxide (IPCC Third Assessment Report on Climate
Change, 2001).
To respond to the possible detriments that Styrofoam could cause to the environment,
experts on sustainable development suggest that people recycle the product. As a matter of fact,
Polystyrene is easily recycled. Due its light weight, especially if foamed, it is not economical to
collect in its original form. However if the waste material goes through an initial compaction
process the material changes density from typically 30 g/l to 330 kg/m3 and becomes a recycable
commodity of high value for producers of recycled plastic pellets. It is generally not accepted in
curbside collection recycling programs. In Germany polystyrene is collected, as a consequence
of the packaging law that requires manufacturers to take responsibility for recycling or disposing
of any packaging material they sell. In the US and many other countries the interest in recycling
polystyrene has led to collection points being established. The producers of large quantities of
polystyrene waste (50 tons per year or more) who have invested in the EPS compactors are able
to sell the compacted blocks to plastic recyclers.
Currently, most polystyrene products are not recycled due to the lack of incentive to
invest in the compactors and logistical systems required. Expanded polystyrene scrap can be
easily added to products such as EPS insulation sheets and other EPS materials for construction
applications. Commonly, manufacturers cannot obtain sufficient scrap because of the
aforementioned collection issues. When it is not used to make more EPS, foam scrap can be
turned into clothes hangers, park benches, flower pots, toys, rulers, stapler bodies, seedling
containers, picture frames, and architectural molding.
The research stems on extending the possible ways at which Styrofoam can be recycled.
With the properties of Styrofoam being mentioned above, the researchers thought of determining
the feasibility of producing concrete tiles using Styrofoam bits as an additive ingredient.

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Moreover, the researchers also thought of comparing the characteristics of the produced tiles
when the added Styrofoam is first dissolved in gasoline.
Gasoline is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel
in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the
fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also
contain ethanol as an alternative fuel. Under normal ambient conditions its material state is
liquid, unlike liquefied petroleum gas or "natural gas (Dabelstein et al, 2007). Gasoline has been
used as solvent since any groups attached to the carbon backbone will help dissolve polystyrene.
Hydroxyl groups are too polar, so glycerin and alcohols don't do it. Gasoline attacks styrene
foam because it has modest percentages of benzene, toluene, and xylene. Other possible solvents
are also available. Paint-store denatured alcohol has 10% acetone in it as the denaturant, so it
will attack Styrofoam a little. All cousins of acetone will attack polystyrene. Paraffin wax, drugstore mineral oil, and candle oil won't quite dissolve Styrofoam except when heated (Newton,
2007).
There have been a lot of related articles showing the extents at which Styrofoam can be
recycled. Styrofoam is commonly pressed into solid insulation boards or made into loose-fill
insulation. However, there has been suggested backseats to this since standard polystyrene in
small bits is highly flammable. Polystyrene can emit hazardous gases when exposed to heat.
When it is used for building materials, municipal building codes typically require a fire barrier
(Vulcan, 2010). Also, a blog indicated the feasibility of using Styrofoam as a raw material in the
production of a sealant. The researcher used gasoline to melt the Styrofoam to produce a sticky
solution which was then used a sealant to holes in household roofs. The drying time was
determined and was compared to commercial sealants. Furthermore, Tsutomu Noguchi of the

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Sony Research Center found that the oil from orange peels would dissolve polystyrene. By using
a product called Limoene, that contains .5% of the orange peel oil Noguchi found that the
polystyrene would break down into a liquid form that created a very strong glue and can be used
to create styrene pellets that go back into the production of more polystyrene (Karr, 2010)
From the reviews done by the researchers, none indicated that an investigation about
using dissolved Styrofoam products by gasoline and combined this product into an indigenous
material to produce a useful decorative material like indoor decorative pots.

Methodology

Research Design

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Researchers made use of the experimental type of research design. Two preparations and
trials were conducted to achieve the purpose and come up with the desired results. The main
components of the investigation include trimmings and other Styrofoam waste products, kusot
of rice, gasoline, and sap of jackfruit.

Research Locale
The experimental study was conducted in the researchers locality at Matalaba
Elementary School, Matalaba, Santa Cruz, Marinduque, where all the material components of the
study were gathered.

Materials and Equipment

Preparations
For the first preparation materials gathered include kusot of rice, and sap of jackfruit.
For the second preparation materials used for the composition of the desired product were
kusot of rice, trimmings of Styrofoam and other waste Styrofoam products, and gasoline.

Experimentation
Researchers combined the materials or components for the first experimentation which
include kusot of rice as the independent variable of the study, and sap of jackfruit as the
controlled variable of the study.
On second experimentation, materials or components used include kusot of rice as the
independent variable of the study, trimmings of Styrofoam and other waste products from
Styrofoam and gasoline as controlled variables of the study.

Research Flow Chart

Gathering of Materials

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Preparation 2

Preparation 1

Breaking/tearing Styrofoam
trimmings and other waste
Styrofoam products into pieces

Extracting sap of jackfruit

Mix with kusot of rice

Mix kusot of rice with
pieces of Styrofoam using
spatula
Mixing two components
thoroughly

Dissolving components
using gasoline

Mixing components
thoroughly
Observing results

Results and Discussion

A. Data Analysis
Based on the experiments, the following results are obtained:
Table 1. Testing of the Experiment 1
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Experiment 1

Preparation 1
kg. rice trimming
250 ml of jackfruit sap

Results
Oozed up
Not composed

Table 1 presents the first set of components for experiment 1. The sap from jackfruit tree
was used as binding glue to compose and mould the rice trimmings into an indoor decorative
material for pots. It was found out the sap from jackfruit had no strong chemical properties that
could bind and compose the rice trimmings into another material. The sap oozed up instead of
drying up. Thus, the first trial was not successful. This prompted the researchers to conduct the
second trial.
Table 2. Testing of the Experiment 2
Experiment 2

Preparation 2
kg. rice trimming
1 kg. of Styrofoam
1 litre of gasoline
3 waste pots

Results
Hard
Composed

Table 2 displays the materials used for preparation 2. As shown in the table, researchers
made use of additional components for the experiments such as 1 kg. of Styrofoam and gasoline
were to test the viability of holding and composing rice trimming into another materials. When
all components were combined, the mixtures become hardened and was composed and made into
another useful product like indoor decorative materials for waste and damage pots. Results of the
second experiments show positive results.

Conclusion
Researchers therefor conclude that gasoline is a good solvent of Styrofoam. Styrofoam
and gasoline are feasible for binding materials like kusot of rice that could be turned into

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another useful product like indoor decorative materials for damaged or waste pots. Thus, the
hypothesis tested in this investigation is hereby confirmed and accepted.

Recommendation
In the light of the findings, researchers hereby recommend the following:
1. Waste products of Styrofoam and Kusot of rice can be made into another recyclable
product like indoor decorative materials for pots that would help lessen or avoid burning of
biodegradable materials that produces greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
2. Future researches are encouraged in order to improve the products and to find and test
another component that would replace gasoline as solvent and binding since it is hazardous for
children and also to minimize the cost of materials.
3. Other materials aside from kusot of rice such as clay, shells, and sands are
encouraged to test its feasibility to turn into another product like decorative materials.

Bibliography
Online References
myneonclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/Chapter+I-III+agad+gongob.docx
Polystyrene & Styrofoam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene

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