HOW HAS POLYFOAM XPS REDUCED WASTE FROM ITS FACTORY?
Many years of continuous improvements and manufacturing investments have helped Polyfoam XPS to reduce the amount of waste its factory produces, divert that waste from landfill, and boost recycling rates in all departments.
The operations of construction product manufacturers are substantial. Production lines are energy intensive and manufacturing processes can be responsible for significant amounts of carbon. There is no button that can be pressed or switch than can be flipped to instantly decarbonise these operations.
For a manufacturer like Polyfoam XPS, looking to lower its environmental impact, it is necessary to strike the balance of making as many short and medium term gains as possible, while enacting the longer term plans that will help address the most significant impacts of the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
What does Polyfoam XPS recycle, and how?
Waste from the Polyfoam XPS factory and offices are managed by following the waste hierarchy reduce / reuse/ recycle process, with any residual waste being dealt with by a local waste management company, this includes the following waste streams:-
• Cardboard.
• General paper waste from recycling bins.
• Plastics.
• Wood
• Canteen waste.
This waste is generated in a variety of ways. Much of the plastics, and Wood for example are packaging from raw materials. Canteen waste can include food containers such as tin cans or plastic packaging.
Additional metal waste generated by the factory’s maintenance departments is collected by a specialist waste metal recycling company. Similarly, a specialist company deals with confidential paper: their shredding van regularly visits the site to securely shred and then recycle the resulting waste
A process of reducing general waste bins and providing dry mixed recycling (DMR) points started as long ago as 2007. Regular training sessions take place to ensure that everyone on site understands their responsibilities and that they are aware of how to use the correct waste disposal points for each waste stream.
How does in-house recycling of waste XPS work?
Arguably the most significant aspect of Polyfoam XPS’s waste management is the recycling of waste extruded polystyrene (XPS) as part of how the product is made.
All XPS production waste is managed through a recycling station that is integrated into the production line. Thanks to an ongoing programme of investment in the factory, it is possible for both start-up material and offcuts (produced when insulation boards are cut to size) to be processed into recycled material.
The polystyrene pellets created as a result of this recycling are routed to the start of the production line, for use as part of the insulation product ‘recipes’. Up to 30% of the polystyrene in any given production run is recycled polystyrene, which helps to offset the requirement for virgin raw material.
In addition to in house recycling Polyfoam XPS also purchases post industrial recycled material which is also used to offset virgin raw material thus reducing their Environmental Impact.
Polyfoam XPS takes seriously its role as a responsible construction product manufacturer. If you have any questions regarding waste management at our sites, or about how recycled content is used in the XPS manufacturing process, connect with us on LinkedIn or contact us.