Recycling plant opened: Construction waste becomes new insulation material

The PolyStyreneLoop recycling plant was built to prove the technical and economic feasibility of a large-scale, closed-loop solution for recycling EPS demolition material. It will initially recycle construction waste from the Netherlands and Germany and process it into new, high-quality insulation material. Later, the plant will also accept demolition waste from other countries.

The old additive HBCD and other types of impurities such as construction residues or cement are also safely removed, while valuable bromine is recovered.

“We are thrilled that this plant is now operational after many years of hard work,” said Lein Tange, Co-Director of PolyStyreneLoop. “It brings us one step closer to EPS recycling in Europe and closing the loop.”

“The EPS packaging manufacturers in the IK also support the project, even if the initial focus here is on building materials,” says IK Managing Director Mara Hancker, explaining the commitment. “We are interested in closing EPS cycles. With PolystyreneLoop, the industry is demonstrating its innovative strength and willingness to change and is once again proving the recyclability of EPS as a sustainable plastic.”

The plant is able to recycle 3,300 tonnes of polystyrene foam demolition material from the construction sector per year and thus validate the technical, ecological and economic feasibility of a new recycling process in which polystyrene foams containing HBCD can be fully integrated into the circular economy instead of being lost to the circular economy. Later, the plant will also recycle extruded polystyrene, or XPS.

Source: Kunststoffverpackungen.de