This posts talks about how to recycle or reuse expanded polystyrene in an industrial environment.
Did you know that most medical supplies used during current Covid 19 pandemic use EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) for transport packaging? Let’s look together at the info graphic below for details.
Info Graphics Presented by The EPS Industry Alliance
According to the EPS Industry Alliance, the EPS Recycling market segment in US has done not too bad lately.
136.8 Million Pounds of EPS Recycled in 2019
As you can see, the US recycled a bit over 71 million pounds in 2010, followed by a steady growth rate which peaked at 133.7 million pounds in 2014. Then, for some unknown reasons, the curve dipped to about 65 million pounds in 2017. From there, it shot up to a record peak of 136.8 million pounds in 2019.
56% Used as Recycled Content in New Packaging
The magic number for the average amount of post-use ESP used as recycled content in new packaging is 56%. Not too bad! The areas of reuse include assemble and shipping, molding and production, regrind and reprocess, and purchase and use by consumers,
Molded EPS Pallets for Subaru car Parts Reused up to 24 times
This is another interesting statistics: Subaru is capable of reusing its car parts molded pallets up to 24 times. That’s excellent! Another company where the reuse rate is high is Eutecma. Eutecma is German company specializing in passive cooling systems marketed under the brand ICECATCH. Since 2008, the firm has dedicated itself to the development, production and sales of passive cooling system for transport and logistics. The ICECATCH® cooling system makes the transport and storage of temperature-sensitive products in pharmaceutical, medical and laboratory diagnostics, as well as the food industry, simpler, more reliable and more cost-effective. Kudos to you, Eutecma!
What do you say?
As a professional in the plastics industry, what’s your opinion about this issue? Is your company making or using ESP products? If yes, do you recycle or reuse them the material? Do you have any advice for people who are considering recycling ESP?
