GREENMAX Polystyrene Recycling System Helps Australia Move Toward 100% Recycling

Australia is actively working toward its vision of 100% waste recycling, but one material that has always been challenging is polystyrene (EPS). Lightweight, bulky, and widely used in packaging and insulation, EPS often ends up in landfills. To address this issue, Koolfoam, a foam manufacturer in Australia with more than forty years of experience, turned to INTCO Recycling and its brand GREENMAX for a practical and sustainable solution.

Koolfoam is well known in Australia for producing custom foam packaging, pipe insulation, and thermal insulation materials. However, with the Australian government planning to restrict or even ban foam polystyrene, Koolfoam faced a critical challenge. Without a recycling solution, their long-established business might be forced to shut down. To survive, they needed to demonstrate that polystyrene is not simply waste, but a recyclable and reusable resource.

In 2021, Koolfoam first connected with INTCO Recycling, the largest end-user of polystyrene waste in the world, through a waste purchasing agreement. This initial cooperation opened the door to a deeper conversation. Soon, Koolfoam approached GREENMAX to explore whether a polystyrene recycling system could help them comply with new regulations and continue their operations.

At first, Koolfoam only wanted a grinder to crush polystyrene scraps and reuse them in block production. The initial proposal from GREENMAX included a combination of crushing, dust removal, and dust collection equipment. However, after several discussions and a clearer understanding of the company’s long-term needs, GREENMAX refined the plan and delivered a complete polystyrene recycling system.

This solution not only provided grinding capacity but also included an efficient dust management setup and a blending system that made it possible to mix virgin and recycled materials in different ratios. By integrating this solution directly into Koolfoam’s existing production line, the company could reduce waste while maintaining consistent product quality.

One of the most valuable features of the GREENMAX system is its ability to separate EPS beads by quality. High-quality beads can be reused immediately in new production, while lower-quality beads are not wasted but instead melted into foam ingots. These ingots are then purchased back by INTCO Recycling, which uses them to manufacture new products such as picture frames, skirting boards, and other decorative and construction materials. In this way, every piece of EPS is transformed into a resource, making it possible to achieve 100% recycling.

By 2022, Koolfoam had installed and fully operationalized the GREENMAX Polystyrene Recycling System. The results were significant. The company successfully reduced polystyrene waste, complied with Australia’s strict recycling policies, and established a sustainable and profitable business model for the future.