Austria-wide collection and recycling of EPS* insulation board offcuts starts
Polystyrene (expanded polystyrene, EPS) is used in house construction for thermal insulation. Insulation boards are cut to the right size. If the resulting residues are to be reprocessed into new boards in the sense of a genuine circular economy, an efficient and functioning system is needed to collect the material from the construction sites. The consortium of the FFG research project EPSolutely, led by Fraunhofer Austria, has developed such a system over the past two and a half years. The Austria-wide pilot test is now starting. The project partners have already been able to demonstrate that both the production of new boards from recycled material and the processing of contaminated material are technically feasible.
Numerous questions need to be clarified on the way to a genuine circular economy for a raw material. One of them is: How can the logistics of material recovery be organized? The consortium of the EPSolutely research project, consisting of 13 partners, has developed a concept for Austria-wide collection, which is now being tested. 5000 collection bags have been provided with QR codes and distributed. These are used where insulation boards are cut to size during house construction. The offcuts are collected in them. Using the printed QR code, processors can access an online app where the bags can be registered for collection. The zip code of the construction site determines which of the project partners is responsible for transporting and reusing the polystyrene. A barcode on the collection bag enables it to be clearly identified and tracked. After collection, the material is processed into new insulation boards by the project partners.
MORE ABOUT SUSTAINABLE RECYCLING OF INSULATION AT HIRSCH
“We are delighted to support this pioneering project as a key partner and thus make a significant contribution to climate protection. The Austria-wide collection and recycling of EPS insulation board offcuts shows that a functioning circular economy is possible in the EPS insulation industry. This pilot project can also serve as a model for other markets and promote the sustainable use of resources,” adds HIRSCH Servo CEO Harald Kogler.
Further information:
Michaela Andritsch,
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations,
Phone: +43 4277 2211-120
E-mail: michaela.andritsch@hirsch-gruppe.com
Web: www.hirsch-gruppe.com
*EPS = expandable polystyrene, better known under the brand names Porozell or Styropor