Styrofoam Recycling Solutions for Disposing Styrofoam Wastes

Styrofoam known as Expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) is a lightweight cellular plastic material.Styrofoam is 98% air, which makes the item bulky and hard to dispose directly. Styrofoam is hard to be recycled directly from the recycling bin. When thrown in the garbage bin it ends up taking up precious space. When going to landfill it is very harmful to the environment and costs much land resources.

EPS Industry Alliance reported that in 2022, about 168.6 million pounds of EPS packaging were diverted from disposal in North America, up from 136.8 million pounds in 2019. This includes 61 million pounds from post-consumer sources, suggesting a 31% recycling rate for this segment.

Styrofoam from home appliance packaging, fish boxes and suitable clean food containers can be recovered through an appropriate recycling channel. Material condition and the receiving recycler’s requirements should be confirmed first. For businesses handling regular quantities, an important part of Styrofoam recycling is to reduce the foam volume. INTCO Recycling provides GREENMAX equipment for this purpose and buys back qualifying EPS blocks and ingots.

Styrofoam Recycling Case:

1.Boulevard Furniture
2.Safeway
3.Living Spaces

Styrofoam Recycling Steps:

1. Separate EPS from other materials.

Collect suitable EPS packaging separately and remove mixed materials that are not accepted in the recycling process. Assess moisture and contamination to determine whether additional preparation is needed.

2. Feed the loose EPS into the machine.

Place the prepared foam into the hopper of GREENMAX Styrofoam recycling machine. Large packaging pieces should be checked against the machine’s feeding requirements.

3. Crush the foam into smaller pieces.

The crushing section reduces loose EPS packaging into smaller pieces that can enter the compression or thermal densification stage.

4. Reduce the volume through compaction or thermal densification.

A Styrofoam compactor mechanically compresses EPS into blocks, with a volume reduction ratio of up to 50:1. A thermal densifier uses controlled heat to form dense ingots, with a ratio of up to 90:1. Actual performance depends on the material and operating conditions.

Styrofoam packaging, containers and boxes can be recycled when their material and condition meet the receiving facility’s requirements. Compacted blocks and cooled ingots take up less space than loose foam and are easier to accumulate for shipment. This can help reduce storage and transport costs, depending on the site’s existing handling arrangements.

Styrofoam blocks and ingots are valuable feedstock for producing recycled polystyrene pellets. INTCO Recycling not only supplies Styrofoam recycling solutions, but also purchases qualifying recovered EPS for use in products such as frames and moldings. Purchase terms depend on material quality, quantity, location and market conditions. Suitable recycled polystyrene can also be used in XPS insulation board production.

For businesses with a regular EPS waste stream, Styrofoam recycling offers a way to recover material previously sent for disposal. The financial return depends on avoided disposal charges and material sales, balanced against equipment, operating and shipping costs. GREENMAX can assess a suitable solution based on your foam waste, processing quantity and current collection arrangements.