Comparative life cycle assessment for end-of-life treatment of expanded polystyrene produced in street markets of the municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a useful material, often used as food packaging, mainly in the form of fish boxes. Though, after its useful life, EPS waste should be properly disposed of to avoid impacts on the environment or human health. In this study, three EPS end-of-life treatment options are considered and compared for EPS waste produced in street markets of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece: (a) collection and landfill disposal, (b) collection and recycling at a local facility and (c) collection, compacting and long-distance transport for recycling in Athens. Field research was carried out to obtain the total quantity of EPS waste produced per week. In general, recycling has favorable results, but certain trade-offs have been found. Transport has no significant effect for the scenarios in question. This is not the case with electricity consumption, which has a significant effect in shaping environmental impacts. Improvements regarding the country’s energy mix, which are already taking place, as well as minimization of water usage during or before recycling are important steps in achieving the maximum benefits of recycling.