As manufacturers around the globe grapple with climate change and other environmental dilemmas, they are being called upon to take responsibility for their impact on the planet.
Australian manufacturers of recycled building materials like Foamex aim to establish and maintain a circular economy in which their polystyrene products are made from 100 per cent recycled material.
Polystyrene is infinitely recyclable, making this entirely possible. It begins with product stewardship, which forms the foundation for responsible manufacturing.
Product stewardship for recycled building material
The foundation of product stewardship is an acknowledgement that organisations involved in designing, manufacturing and selling products have a responsibility to minimise their environmental and human health impacts throughout the product’s lifecycle and supply chain.
In short, organisations like Foamex that bring products to market must take an active role in eliminating or reducing the negative impacts of those products throughout the entire lifecycle.
This includes using components and materials free from unsafe chemicals and making products easier to recover, reuse, repair, and recycle. This concept is becoming an essential part of manufacturing rather than a ‘nice policy’ in today’s increasingly global economy.
Global and local pressure to use recycled building materials
There is increased pressure around the globe and countries to use recycled materials in manufacturing products, including building products.
For example, the Victorian Government has developed a ‘Recycled First Policy’ and a circular economy strategy called Recycling Victoria. It is a 10-year plan to overhaul the state’s recycling sector and increase domestic recycling capabilities.
All tenderers on major Victorian transport projects must demonstrate within their bid how they optimise the use of recycled and reused materials at the levels allowed under current standards and specifications. They are also encouraged to identify opportunities to trial new innovative products or opportunities to boost recycled and reused material quantities within existing standards and specifications.
This policy aims to encourage the use of sustainable building materials, ensure recycled and reused materials are considered over virgin materials, and help divert valuable materials from landfill.
Recycled content in XPS Board
As a manufacturer focused on product stewardship, Foamex understands that the increasing use of recycled materials in building products reduces construction's environmental footprint, diverts waste from landfill, and lessens dependence on non-renewable resources.
Foamex recently achieved a breakthrough with its locally manufactured XPS board, StyroBoard, which can now be manufactured from 90 per cent recycled polystyrene.
To begin the process of polystyrene foam recycling, EPS and XPS polystyrene are collected from building sites, packaging clients, and the public. The waste is then fed into the manufacturing process and repurposed as a new product. Foamex is a member of StyroCycle an industry-driven initiative offering convenient collection bins for local residents and businesses to recycle their clean EPS packaging waste.
Foamex has invested in several state-of-the-art recycling machines that significantly increase the company's efficiency. The machine combines crushing, compacting, and pelletising functions into one step, reducing manual labour. Foamex can process 250 cubic metres of clean expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste daily per site (uncompacted).
To achieve the goal of using 90 per cent recycled material in the manufacture of StyroBoard XPS, the Foamex team focused on quality control throughout the manufacturing steps.
Extruded polystyrene (XPS) is manufactured using an extrusion process. It begins as polystyrene crystals (from the recycled content or raw material) combined with additives and a gas-blowing agent. The materials are fed into an extruding machine, where they are blended and melted into a thick liquid processed through a die. The liquid is expanded into foam, shaped, cooled, and trimmed.
To achieve the milestone, Foamex tested the XPS board throughout the manufacturing process with an in-house strength and density test, plus a test for its thermal properties and fire resistance with a third-party tester.
Using recycled material saves raw material costs, but Foamex's motivation for making this change is the long-term environmental benefit and closed-loop process.
Foamex is committed to recycle polystyrene
Foamex is committed to recycling polystyrene for both EPS and XPS foam and creating sustainable building products using recycled materials in all its manufacturing processes.
To learn more about Foamex XPS board products, call us on 1300 AU FOAM.
