Recycling service to reprocess polystyrene

OVER 200 tonnes of polystyrene will be diverted from landfill in the greater Dublin region over the next 12 months as a result of a new recycling service launched yesterday.

Rehab Recycle’s Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Recycling service was officially launched in Navan by Environment Minister John Gormley.

According to predictions, it will take the equivalent of 300 40-foot containers of polystyrene away from landfill during the next year, saving up to 40% in waste charges.

EPS is most commonly used as a packaging material for electronic and electrical equipment and is known by a number of trade names such as Styrofoam and Aeroboard. Reprocessed, the plastic from polystyrene can be used in a wide array of everyday products such as clothes hangers, CD cases and stationery.

“Currently, there are very few options for companies or members of the public to dispose of expanded polystyrene,” said Rehab group’s director of enterprises, Michael Horgan.

“The product is not accepted in any green bin collection scheme in Ireland and most civic amenity centres do not take it for recycling. Some people have no option but to place it in their general refuse bin.”

EPS is made up of 98% air and 2% plastic and, with a high volume/low weight ratio, can rapidly fill a bin or skip, making its disposal more expensive.

Rehab Recycle estimates that customers who will use the EPS recycling service will save up to 40% on standard waste disposal rates. The new recycling facility is initially being developed for the greater Dublin region and there are plans to expand the service to other locations in the future.

Mr Gormley said that the new scheme would increase our recycling rates as well as reduce our dependency on landfill. “This new service will not only reduce the amount of EPS being land-filled, but will also give this material a new incarnation as a completely new product, whether that be garden furniture or plastic cutlery.”

Repak CEO, Andrew Hetherington, said that EPS has proven to be a difficult material for Repak’s members to recycle.

“This development shows that even though we are now at a packaging recycling rate of 60%, it is imperative that we are constantly adding new packaging material types to the recycling chain in order to drive up the rate.

“We look forward to the collection being rolled out to more recycling centre nationwide.”

Rehab Recycle’s combined glass, can, paper and waste electrical recycling facilities account for more than 90,000 tonnes of material each year, including 211 million bottles and jars.

www.rehabrecycle.ie