SWEDUCE - EPS recycling

Styroform or expanded polystyrene, EPS, consists of 2% polystyrene and 98% air. Styrofoam is very difficult to recycle because of its low density (light weight) and takes up a lot of space in transport, which causes an unnecessarily large environmental impact. We have developed a technology to recycle EPS to a commodity which gives a volume reduction of 50: 1. This "reduced" EPS can work as a raw material for example the plastics industry, and manufacturers of composite products such as wood and plastic. Styrofoam, which today is taken to inceneration plants can instead be efficiently recycled, and at the same time will transport more efficient and greener. The project aims to understand the flows, logistics, economy and quantities of EPS in Sweden and Europe, but also to develop and validate the technology.

Plastics Recycling