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Recyclability & Circularity

100% Recyclable by design

The latest statistics show that European recycling rates hover around an average of 50%,broken down into different categories, but notably 64% of total packaging waste. With an average growth of its recycling rate of 4 % per year, EPS can play a significant role in improving these figures.

EPS is 100% recyclable and already widely recycled. However, the EPS industry is committed to further boosting there cycling rates of our material. Various recycling methods, such as mechanical, physical and chemical, offer viable solutions to EPS waste, offering suitable technology for all waste streams, no matter how contaminated. As mechanical recycling technology offers the highest sustainability, separate collection is preferred to keep materials sorted. These efforts are assisted by ambitious platforms such as Reco Trace®, which enable a comprehensive tracking of recycling tonnage and use of plastic materials.

The Contribution of EPS

  • In Insulation:

EPS is highly adaptable and can be shaped to fit any application. In construction, boards are cut with a hot wire to match exact dimensions. This process generates clean off-cuts, which can be collected and recycled through mechanical recycling, a process that involves grinding the material and reintroducing it into new production, often mixed with virgin beads.

When off-cuts or used EPS are contaminated or contain substances that are no longer permitted today, mechanical recycling is no longer sufficient. In such cases, advanced solutions are used: dissolution (a form of physical recycling) enables the recovery of clean polystyrene, while chemical recycling breaks EPS down to its original monomer, allowing for the production of new virgin-quality material.

These complementary approaches help close the loop for EPS, ensuring that more material is retained in the production cycle, even when contamination or complex waste streams are involved.

Source
  • In Packaging:

EPS packaging can be recycled several times throughout its lifecycle. Across numerous industries such as healthcare and research (for medicine and vaccines), fishing, agriculture (transport of seedlings and plants) and white goods. All have in common their active recycling of EPS on a large scale.

Once the packaging has served its purpose, it is collected, recycled and reintroduce into the economy.

This process follows rigorous guidelines. First off, the separate collection of EPS ensures it is not mixed with other waste and prevents contamination. Modern sorting facilities are designed to sort EPS out of mixed plastic house hold waste, for instance. Following its collection, the material is thoroughly cleaned to remove contaminants. It is often compacted at this stage for ease of transport. Finally, the material is either ground back into beads or put into an extruder where it is melted to be recycled. This ensures EPS always remains within the economy and stands as a shining example of circularity. Where possible, EPS packaging is also re-used, as is the case in food catering when hygienic requirements allow it.

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‍European EPS industry
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design: inextremis.be