This study aimed to develop polystyrene (PS) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) composites as photocatalysts for the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) from water. Waste PS, obtained from disposable cutlery, was used to synthesize PS-TiO₂ composites with different PS contents (C20, C50, and C80). The composites were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDAX, FTIR, and zeta potential measurements. Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the photocatalytic degradation process, considering parameters such as polymer content, pH, and initial CIP concentration. The results showed that the composite with 50% PS content (C50) performed best under optimal conditions (pH 3 and initial CIP concentration of 5 mg/L), achieving a CIP removal efficiency of 95.01% after 180 minutes. The model developed had a high R² value (0.9751) and an adjusted R² value (0.9565), indicating its validity. Additionally, kinetic studies using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model confirmed that the process followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The study highlights the successful utilization of waste PS in the removal of CIP, contributing to a circular economy by recycling waste materials.This study aimed to develop polystyrene (PS) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) composites as photocatalysts for the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) from water. Waste PS, obtained from disposable cutlery, was used to synthesize PS-TiO₂ composites with different PS contents (C20, C50, and C80). The composites were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDAX, FTIR, and zeta potential measurements. Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the photocatalytic degradation process, considering parameters such as polymer content, pH, and initial CIP concentration. The results showed that the composite with 50% PS content (C50) performed best under optimal conditions (pH 3 and initial CIP concentration of 5 mg/L), achieving a CIP removal efficiency of 95.01% after 180 minutes. The model developed had a high R² value (0.9751) and an adjusted R² value (0.9565), indicating its validity. Additionally, kinetic studies using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model confirmed that the process followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The study highlights the successful utilization of waste PS in the removal of CIP, contributing to a circular economy by recycling waste materials.