Innovations: Recycling EPS – FSDE

The recycling of waste from thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) is becoming increasingly important: According to market research firm Conversio, given the fact that 32,000 tonnes of EPS waste accrued at construction sites in Germany in 2015, the quantity will be almost three times as high (85,000 tonnes) in 2050. Instead of generating energy from waste, it will become increasingly important in the future to return plastic to the recycling cycle in the form of a closed loop recycling.

Based on the CreaSolv process developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging, work is currently underway to recycle recovered EPS panels that contain the now-banned flame retardant HBCD. As part of the EU-funded PolyStyreneLoop project, the plan is to process approximately 3,000 tonnes of EPS per year from 2019 onwards.

EPS processors, such as Brohlburg and Rygol, are taking a different approach: They have developed concepts for the processing of clean waste cuttings, i.e. sections of virgin EPS panels that accumulate at the construction site, into recyclate panels. Appropriate products from Brohlburg are already in use, for example to protect the foundation wall, as drainage panels or as insulation for the upper storey ceiling.

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