First Food-Grade Polystyrene Recycling and Reuse Achieved in Latin America

Plastlit is a disposable plastic supplier for the food service industry in Ecuador, and all its expanded polystyrene packaging contains 18% post-consumer recycled polystyrene.

Polystyrene recycling is carried out using Gneuss’s OMNI recycling line, the first in Latin America capable of converting polystyrene waste into food-grade material.

In fact, polystyrene recycling and reuse technologies are now well developed. The recycling process generally includes stages such as compaction, pelletizing, and reuse.

Due to the low density and large volume of expanded polystyrene, it must first be reduced using a polystyrene densifier to improve transport efficiency and increase profit margins. The compressed foam blocks are then sent to downstream recyclers for pelletizing, turning into clean PS pellets used as raw material for various recycled products.

For post-consumer polystyrene with heavier contamination, using a specialized foam recycling machine for washing is essential to ensure the quality and purity of the pellets.

Polystyrene recycling is an industrial chain that requires global collaboration. Among its stages, compaction is the one with the lowest investment and fastest return.

In the overall foam recycling process, the polystyrene densifier is a key piece of equipment. It reduces the volume of foam by up to 90:1 through high-temperature melting. The resulting blocks have the highest transport efficiency and lowest cost per unit, making them ideal for the capacity requirements of downstream pelletizing machines and highly favored by recyclers.

When downstream pelletizers purchase polystyrene ingots, companies can quickly recover their foam recycling machine investment. Therefore, polystyrene recycling is not only an environmental solution but also a profitable and stable investment.

Recycled EPS has a wide range of applications, including building materials, decorative items, surfboards, and food-grade packaging. INTCO Recycling is one of the world’s largest end users of recycled polystyrene, producing items such as picture frames, outdoor decking, and baseboards.

Unlike other polystyrene densifier suppliers, INTCO Recycling also offers a recycled polystyrene buy-back service, helping customers secure sales channels and enabling one-stop polystyrene recycling.

In addition, for those needing washing lines or pelletizing equipment, INTCO Recycling can also provide customized solutions.

Plastlit has incorporated 18% post-consumer polystyrene into its food packaging, setting a new sustainability benchmark for Ecuador and beyond. Polystyrene recycling is a global effort, and INTCO Recycling looks forward to partnering with more companies to build a greener planet together.