Works Cited

Bloch, Michael. “Recycling Polystyrene - Aka Styrofoam.” Green

Living Tips, 11 Nov. 2012,

www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/recycling-styrofoam.html.

Borma, Borman, Stu. “Styrene Produced In One Step.” CEN RSS,

American Chemical Society,

cen.acs.org/articles/93/i17/Styrene-Produced-One-

Step.html.
Spoondelier
Britan Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Polystyrene.”

Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1

“Trash to Flash, Turning
Spoons into Art”
June 2018, www.britannica.com/science/polystyrene.

Little, Little, Mark. “Facts About Landfill & Styrofoam.”

LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group,

www.livestrong.com/article/159954-facts-about-landfill-

styrofoam/.

“How t “How to Recycle Polystyrene Foam.” Sciencing.com,

Sciencing, sciencing.com/recycle-styrofoam-4588564.html.

“Polys “Polystyrene.” Why Fiberglass in Boating?,

www.pslc.ws/macrog/styrene.htm.

Robso Robson, Kim. “Why Styrofoam Is So Bad for the Environment.”

Green-Mom.com, Green-Mom.com, 22 Feb. 2018, green-

mom.com/styrofoam-bad-environment/#.W-ivAxNKiu4.

By: Sophie Stokes

S Poondelier
About
Polystyrene
In 1839, Eduard Simon discovered the
polymerization of styrene (Britannica).
Polystyrene wasn’t commercially used
before the 1930’s due to the brittleness
and difficult process of cross-linking
polymer chains (Britannica). In 1938,
Robert Dreisbach purified the styrene
monomer (Britannica). It is one of the
most important modern plastics and
widely employed in the food-service
industry. Some examples of materials
made of polystyrene include disposable
eating utensils and foam plates.
Chemistry
Involved
Styrene is created by benzene and
ethylene which are converted to
ethylbenzene and dehydrogenated to
styrene (Borman). Polystyrene is
produced by the free radical vinyl
polymerization from the monomer of
styrene (“Polystyrene”). Recycling
polystyrene requires the ground particles
to be fed into a reactor and heated with
hydrogen in which they encounter
catalyst. The result is a gaseous stream of
styrene that is removed from the reactor.
Trashed Polystyrene
Polystyrene is a type of plastic that is
used in a variety of consumer products.
Polystyrene is non-biodegradable and
takes 500 years at minimum to
decompose (Little). It is rarely recycled
due to its lightweight and the high
economic cost of degreasing the
petroleum-based material (Little).
Burning polystyrene releases toxic
chemicals and styrene gas that is proven
to be harmful to the nervous system
(Bloch). This controversial type of plastic
is thought to potentially be a human
carcinogen. Many believe that it contains
harmful substances which migrate into
food and beverages (Little). Polystyrene’s
resistance to photolysis causes it to
accumulate along coastlines and
waterways (Robson). It has been proved
to negatively impact the ozone layer and
interfere with climate change (Little).
Materials
o Recycled plastic spoons
o Old plastic ball (hamster ball)
o Old light fixture (25w)
o Hot glue ($5.00 in store)
o Round Tupperware
o Recycled chain
o Red and green paint
o Zip ties
o Scissors
o Cordless Drill
(FIND AT HOME/RECYCYLE CENTER/SCHOOL)
Design Process Steps
1.) Drill hole in the top of the plastic
ball and mount lamp assembly
2.) Cut out bottom of Tupperware
bowl with scissors and paint the
bowl color of your choice
3.) Glue the Tupperware bowl/crown
assembly to the top of the plastic
ball with the drilled hole for lamp
assembly at its center
4.) Drill two additional holes in the
top of the plastic ball and zip tie
the chain to the top of ball
5.) Break the spoon handles close to
the cup (wear gloves to prevent
injury)
6.) Paint the spoons on the convex
side with the spray paint color of
your choice
7.) Glue the spoons to the ball and to
each other in a partially
overlapping manner
8.) Insert the light bulb
9.) Hang the Spoondelier in the
location of your choice