CAN EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE (XPS) INSULATION BE RECYCLED?

We know that polystyrene material, including extruded polystyrene (XPS), can be recycled. That’s because the manufacture of XPS products uses a certain amount of recycled material, to reduce the quantity of virgin polystyrene required. You can read more about how Polyfoam XPS makes its insulation products in our ‘How is XPS made?’ blog post.

This post looks at the wider picture of recycling existing products. What is the likelihood that an insulation board installed in a building today will be recycled in future? Could it be recycled regardless of where and how it is installed? What can we, as an insulation manufacturer, do to encourage greater rates of XPS recycling?

We think one of the easiest and most immediate things we can do is simply talk about the subject and acknowledge some of the uncomfortable truths. By starting a conversation, we hope to encourage more debate and awareness around this complex subject.

Waste and the value of construction materials

One of the most uncomfortable truths for a manufacturer to address is that a lot of the product they manufacture is likely to end up in landfill in future.

The issue of waste is not unique to insulation manufacturers, but a significant problem for the entire construction industry. According to government figures, construction and demolition accounts for 30% of all UK waste. Shockingly, new-build projects generate significant quantities of waste as a result of ordering materials that are never used.

This points to what is arguably the biggest hurdle to overcome: the lack of value attached to construction products. Despite all of the raw material extraction and processing, the transportation, the manufacturing – and all of the carbon emissions – that go into making them, people are happy to throw materials away.

How, then, does the industry make the case that as much material as possible should be retrieved from existing buildings prior to their demolition? If no value is attached to the material in the construction phase, why should anyone attach value to it at the end of the building’s life?

Just because a material can be recycled, will it be recycled?

Looking specifically at XPS, the recycled content that goes into the manufacture of Polyfoam XPS products is generated by the production process itself. We take offcuts and boards not intended for sale, and we turn them into polystyrene crystal for use on the production line.

All of that is under our control as a manufacturer. What we don’t have control over is how our product is ultimately used on site.

A significant barrier to recycling, reuse and, ultimately, fully embracing the circular economy (rather than a linear economy) is that design and installation rarely takes into account the end of a building’s life. This is hardly surprising, as buildings can stand for 50, 60 or 100 years – sometimes far in excess of the original intended design life.

Even if a designer or specifier does think about the end of life, how can they ensure that someone follows through on that intent so many years later?

Part of the issue is that materials can be hard to retrieve from buildings, especially if they are not installed in a way that facilitates retrieval. If insulation boards are fixed with adhesive, or are in contact with concrete at installation, then retrieval might be impossible. And even if it is possible, the product might be ‘contaminated’ with that adhesive or concrete – which can make recycling impossible, and it still ends up going to landfill.

Investigating the potential for greater recycling

To better understand the possibilities for recycling XPS, we’ve had discussions with a recycling company about what is possible. They have told us that extruded polystyrene can be recovered from existing buildings and recycled, even if it is contaminated.

This gives us encouragement that we’ll see a time when XPS products are routinely recovered from buildings and recycled. With the right research and development in the production process, increased availability of recycled material could eventually see new insulation boards made with greater levels of recycled polystyrene content.

For that situation to become a reality, however, the marketplace needs to be properly stimulated. Specifiers, installers and demolition contractors first need to know that recycling is possible, and then they need to have the incentive to make it happen.

Significant costs attached to retrieval will only make recycling less likely. This is where placing a value on the insulation material is essential, so it is economically worthwhile for someone to go to the trouble of collecting and processing the material. Mature recycling networks exist for materials like steel and aluminium; we are a long way from something similar for extruded polystyrene.

At Polyfoam XPS, we recognise this blog post is only the start of a journey rather than a complete solution. While it is intended to be hopeful in tone, we can understand how it might actually be frustrating to read. Unfortunately, one manufacturer alone cannot create the wider industry change that is needed. But we can talk about the opportunities we’re exploring, with the aim of inspiring others to join us on that journey.

If you would like to learn more about the recycling possibilities we have discussed for XPS, or if you have any other questions, connect with us on LinkedIn or contact us.