Creastyr, the answer to polystyrene recycling
Development of a recycling chain for EPS and XPS
With the support of Leko – L’éco-organisme des entreprises responsables (leko-organisme.fr), Elipso and EUMEPS, the European association of expanded polystyrene manufacturers, are developing an effective recycling channel for EPS and XPS. This initiative meets the requirements of France’s “Climate and Resilience” law, which allows polystyrene-containing packaging to be recycled, provided it can be integrated into a recycling chain.
Testing the “CreaStyr” project
The latest tests carried out as part of the “CréaStyr” project set up by representatives of the industry are conclusively in line with the legal framework.
By 2025, the regulatory framework allows for the development of a high-performance recycling sector for household, industrial and commercial EPS and XPS packaging in France, provided that recycling is carried out on an industrial scale.
In addition, the position of COTREP (Technical Committee for the Recycling of Household Plastic Packaging), of which Elipso is a member, also admits the possibility, when it stresses the need for in-depth tests and studies on the sorting behavior of EPS and XPS packaging.
International recognition and objectives
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has already recognized the worldwide recyclability of EPS insulation and protective packaging, based on government analysis reports.
The CréaStyr project aims to organize the recycling of household, industrial and commercial packaging made from XPS/PSE. It is a major initiative by manufacturers to :
- Develop efficient collection and sorting of EPS and XPS packaging;
- Increase the recycling rate and guarantee the sustainability of the sector;
- Support the choices of marketers and inform deposit holders by measuring, raising awareness and communicating on collection and recycling possibilities for EPS and XPS packaging.
Current Solutions and Future Developments
Collection and sorting solutions already exist, whether at waste collection centers, warehouses, ports or national markets (MIN). Solutions for integrating recycled materials (rPS) from XPS food packaging or EPS protection are possible and already in place. From collection to recycling (our Knauf Circular solution), solutions exist and can be further developed!
Results and Government Initiatives
The CréaStyr project’s tests, based on protocols that correspond to the industrial reality of collection, sorting and recycling processes, have produced highly satisfactory results in terms of the capture rate of EPS and XPS deposits and, more generally, recyclability.
To corroborate these results, it should be stressed that the measurements carried out by chemical and mechanical recyclers are very reassuring for all XPS/PSE packaging.
Moreover, government initiatives are underway to adapt the French sorting system, with the creation of specialized oversorting facilities that will optimize the capture of flows of the different forms of XPS/PSE and, consequently, encourage the emergence of a recycling industry.
To read the full press release, click here -> CP-Elipso-2023-07-18-PSE-XPS.pdf
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