Styrofoam Recycling

According to the ISO-1043/78 standard, expanded polystyrene is internationally abbreviated as EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene), with the name Styrofoam® being a registered trademark. Discovered in 1948 within BASF laboratories, the material is identified as a rigid cellular plastic, created through the polymerization of styrene (derived from naphtha-petroleum) in water, belonging to the group of thermoplastics.

Its technical characteristic is that it is composed of 98% air and only 2% plastic raw material (by mass). It is used in various forms, such as industrial packaging, preservation of food products, equipment protection, artifacts for civil construction, thermal insulation, and even in casting processes for engine blocks in the automotive industry.

The production process does not use and has never used CFC gases, which makes the final products inert, not contaminating soil, water, and air.

EPS is 100% recyclable and reusable, and like any product used by society, it should be disposed of in appropriate points for its reuse, mechanical recycling, or energy recovery. According to the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS Law No. 12,305), disposal in landfills should be the last alternative for urban solid waste (RSU), only after all other possibilities have been exhausted. The major challenges in recycling EPS are its volume-to-weight ratio, as it is extremely bulky and lightweight. The material does not attract recyclers because it lacks post-consumer added value, which hinders the creation of a recycling chain.

Despite the existing barriers, Ambipar has pioneered a mechanical recycling program for EPS, with the main objective of offering its customers and partners an environmentally suitable solution for a material that was primarily destined for landfills.