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EPS Recycling
Expanded Polystyrene is completely recyclable. Over the past decade, REPSA has established a National Collection Network to facilitate EPS recycling in Australia. While limited end-use markets and economies of scale make recycling in this country a difficult operation, there are a variety of uses recycled EPS can be put to:
EPS can be granulated and mixed in with virgin material to make new products - some grades of EPS insulation board and block moulded EPS can incorporate recycled content.
EPS granulate can also be used on its own and mixed in with plaster or concrete to make a lightweight building material. Used EPS can be ground and mixed with soil and compost to promote aeration. Studies confirm that plant growth is enhanced with this aeration.
EPS can also be melted and converted to General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS) pellets and used to manufacture simple polystyrene products such as coat hangers, video cassette and cd casings, stationery items and plant pots.
EPS in Building & Construction
EPS is widely used in many everyday building situations where its lightweight, strength and thermal insulation characteristics provide cost effective high performance solutions.
Major applications of EPS include insulation panels for use in floors, walls and roofs of domestic as well as commercial buildings.
EPS is also well proven in civil engineering applications where its inherent strength means it can support structures such as roadways and railways with complete ease. EPS is uniquely recyclable - all manufacturing waste can be fully reprocessed as can the products at end-of-life. EPS is comprised of 98% air and therefore only 2% polystyrene making it a highly efficient use of raw material.
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