SAFEWAY Cooperated with GREENMAX to Dispose EPS Foam Waste

Safeway is a large American supermarket chain. Safeway is one of the top four U.S. retail food stores, with several thousand stores in the U.S., including bakeries, delis, flower, and pharmacies, as well as Starbucks coffee shops and fuel centers. Safeway is committed to providing consumers with healthy and reliable fresh food. EPS foam is the most commonly used material in the packaging market, so Safeway also consumes a lot of EPS.

As one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, Safeway is part of Albertsons Companies, which operates more than 2,240 stores nationwide. With a vast network of stores, warehouses, and distribution centers, the company handles large volumes of packaged products every day, generating substantial amounts of EPS foam packaging waste that require efficient recycling solutions.

Later, Safeway in Auburn WA found GREENMAX and expressed that they need a better solution for EPS recycling. After further searching and investigation, we knew that the EPS waste in Safeway was usually pulled away by a local recycler and the recycler would arrange for their staff to sort the waste. However, when the recycler was not willing to take the responsibility to sort and package, Safeway then needed to spend their own manual power and financial cost, which was a big expense for them.

As the EPS waste is too light and bulky, recyclers had to take the high cost of transportation into account. So the Safeway was required to be responsible for the truck and labor costs. In this way, Safeway, after considering, decided to recycle the EPS waste themselves. On one hand, they could reduce the big expense and gain benefits from EPS recycling. On the other hand, they could therefore set up a good image of the Safeway company.

After the decision was made, they gave the program to the headquarters for approval, and 4 months later, they managed to purchase the GREENMAX EPS densifier M-C200+Conveyor. GREENMAX had specially sent engineers to Safeway for our machine debugging and maintenance training. The engineers we arranged is the one who guided the machine operation for Whirlpool, and we will arrange regular service in the later period.

Recently, Safeway decided to install GREENMAX EPS densifier in Tracy's largest warehouse. After months of preparation, a GREENMAX EPS densifier M-C200 was installed. INTCO sent a professional team to the site for installation and commissioning, and the machine worked very well. The high-yielding GREENMAX EPS densifier also meets the requirements of Safeway for energy saving and waste reduction.

FAQ

1. How does an EPS densifier help retailers?
It compresses foam into dense blocks, reducing waste volume and making recycling more cost-effective.

2. Can retailers recycle EPS foam on-site?
Yes. Many retailers use EPS densifiers to process foam waste directly at warehouses or distribution centers.

3. What are the benefits of recycling EPS foam?
Recycling helps reduce disposal costs, save storage space, and support sustainability goals.