A survey by Resource Recovery Systems (RRS) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, shows that the recycling rate for expanded polystyrene (EPS) shipping packaging in North America has reached 31%.

According to the EPS Industry Alliance (EPS-IA), $185 million has been invested in the recycled resin process, which incorporates post-consumer EPS foam into new resin formulations. The market demand for recycled EPS is growing, and EPS recycling can be done on a large scale and has a variety of applications, such as picture frames, hangers and concrete aggregates. Other recycled PS end markets include construction, automotive applications, new packaging and furniture.

Some organizations, such as the Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC) in Virginia, are also continuously helping consumers with EPS recycling. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of consumers involved in the FRC EPS densifier grant program increased from 4 million to 12.4 million. During this period, the amount of foam collected by the EPS recycling program increased from about 4.2 million tons to 800 tons.

With the awakening of people's environmental awareness, the development of EPS densifier technology and the strict requirements of international regulations on foam packaging recycling, EPS recycling is becoming more and more popular. Foam packaging is no longer a disposable transportation product. EPS recycling reuses the value of these waste resources and reduces the amount of landfill.

Various recycled PS products are emerging in the market, and consumers are increasingly inclined to buy such environmentally friendly products. This has led to a growing demand for recycled PS raw materials, which has promoted the continuous development of EPS recycling. After compaction and granulation, the foam becomes pure PS particles, which can be added to the production process of a variety of products.

It is worth mentioning that foam packaging recycling is not a simple environmental protection business. For enterprises, by trading by-products generated during EPS recycling process, they can obtain stable profits, enhance the company's ESG environmental protection image, and be more competitive in the market.

In the whole process of EPS recycling, compaction is the first step. EPS densifier uses high-temperature hot melt technology to achieve volume reduction of foam packaging at a ratio of 90:1. The foam ingots compressed by this foam recycling machine can be directly sold to downstream merchants, or re-granulated by themselves. EPS densifier turns waste EPS packaging into treasure, while solving the safety hazards caused by a large amount of foam accumulation in the factory and improving space utilization.

There are many foam recycling machines on the market that use different technologies and processes, such as cold-press compactors. Compared with these equipments with lower compression ratios, downstream buyers generally prefer to purchase hot melt materials produced by EPS densifier. The density of hot melt foam is generally 600-800kg/m3, which can reduce transportation costs on the one hand, and foam ingots can significantly improve granulation efficiency on the other hand.

EPS recycling helps to achieve resource reuse and maintain the beauty of the world. We hope that more and more companies will join in.