Possibilities for the Recovery and Valorization of Single-Use EPS Packaging Waste Following Its Increasing Generation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Brazil

In Brazil, from capitals to small municipalities, urban solid waste treatment deeply relies on the sorting of collected residues by local associations. Those Sorting Units are composed of low-income workers that rely on the selling of the waste as their main revenue source. However, the trading of the sorted residues hinges on the commercial interest from buyers, therefore only a few materials of interest are potentially recyclable, while the rest ends up being discarded in landfills or open-air dumps all over the country. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has observed a significant increase in the consumption and generation of polymeric packaging waste throughout 2020 and 2021. Particularly, expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging has its use risen mostly due to lockdown measures and the consequent increase in delivery services and takeout meals. Despite the low cost and practicability of single-use packaging in terms of food safety, some materials are considered problematic regarding their recyclability, such as the case of EPS. This chapter addresses the case study of EPS packaging waste in two cities of southern Brazil, over recyclability issues considering social, environmental, economic, and political spheres. The possibilities for increasing the recyclability of EPS in Brazil are discussed as well as the main challenges of making the waste more interesting for potential buyers. In general, being EPS a notable low-cost and lightweight commodity, its transport as a residue for reuse purposes often is hampered by logistics costs, as well as the low intrinsic value of the recycled material for application in different products. Finally, we propose a new application of chemically recycled EPS as a gemstone for application in contemporary jewelry, using silver recovered from scrap sources. The material recycling and the gemstone manufacturing processes are described using simplified techniques as a way to permit its replication by both jewelry professionals and untrained workers, aiming at valorizing the residue. Parting from an extremely inexpensive material with a low-quality perception, we discuss the opportunities of the trash-to-treasure transformation as a way to potentially increase the material value and consequently the revenue of the Sorting Units workers, while reducing its environmental impact.