Recycling Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

From a technical standpoint, polystyrene foam (known as EPS for “expanded polystyrene”) is fairly easy to recycle, as it is just one material, not multiple layers of paper and plastic film.

A national collection system for EPS packaging foam (wholesale produce boxes, protective packaging around electronic and auto parts, etc.) has existed for several years in Australia, under the auspices of REPSA (Recycling Expanded Polystyrene in Australia), a Special Interest Group of the Plastics and Chemicals Industry of Australia. In 2005–2006 over 700 tonnes of EPS was collected and recycled at EPS collection centres across Australia.

In Brisbane, through a partnership between Redland's Council and recycler Carton Warehouse, polystyrene waste is being collected at the Birkdale landfill. Carton Warehouse recycles the EPS into logs which are then sold for reprocessing. This initiative commenced in 2006 and is still proceeding.

Download REPSAs EPS Lifecycle and Recycling brochure here .

Recycling Foam Cups

Collection, processing, and recycling post-consumer polystyrene foam cups is being tested by Phoenix Manufacturing as you read this with a pilot program at Greenslopes Private Hospital. Recycling post-consumer EPS is more challenging, as the cups contain remnants of coffee beverages and smoothies, or have not been separated adequately from paper napkins, coffee grounds, and the like.

At the recycling centre, EPS foam cups are stored in an easily-transportable metal cage. Clear collection bags make it easier for the operator to detect contamination by other materials. The bags also protect against littering if the wind blows.

The bags are opened and the foam is placed on a conveyor belt, which takes it to a shredder to be chopped up.

In this shredded form, (think of pieces like breakfast cereal flakes) the polystyrene is fed into an extruder, which uses a combination of heat and pressure to melt the polystyrene and push it out a small opening at the other end.

Once cooled and solidified, the polystyrene can be transported more efficiently and cost-effectively for recycling.

The recycling process uses heat and pressure once again to extrude the melted plastic through a die (think of water coming out a showerhead) and chopped into small pieces, called pellets, or resin pellets.

The recycled-content resin is now ready to be incorporated into numerous applications: building insulation, plastic lumber, injection-molded auto parts, protective shipping packs, and nursery seedling trays.


Key Points:

• EPS is easy to recycle;
• EPS recycling has been occurring for many years in Australia; and
• Dart is trialing foam cup recycling today within the existing EPS recycling infrastructure.

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