CARTIF PROJECTS

LIFE COLRECEPS

Recycling expanded polystyrene to make new pelets of EPS

Description

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is a plastic material used in several sectors such as packaging or building. One of the most important issues is its recycling since EPS is a petroleum product and is not biodegradable.

In Spain, 80% of the EPS waste finishes up at landfills (about 32.000 t/year), and the remaining 20% is incinerated. The amount of EPS waste that was generated in Europe in 2010 was 1.6 million tones.

COLRECEPS project will also fulfil with environmental policy and legislation of the European Union through the implementation of Directive 2008/98/ES on waste management, reducing the amount of waste that is put in landfills and increasing recycling in a more environmentally sustainable.

Objectives

  • Implementation of a prototype demonstration plant to recycle 100% of the EPS waste and obtain EPS pearls with which new recycled EPS products will be manufactured.
  • Get a reliable data about the generation of EPS in the urban zone of Valladolid.
  • Establish a logistic system for collecting and treating EPS waste.
  • To treat more than a 50% of the EPS waste generated in the urban zone of Valladolid.

Actions

  • Study the amount of EPS waste generated.
  • Create a proper system for the collection, logistic and management of the EPS waste.
  • Construction a demonstration prototype plant for the recycling of EPS waste.
  • Obtain a high-quality and optimal EPS pearls.
  • Manufacture of new products using this EPS recycled which will tested by and end-user.

Expected results

  • Valorisation of the 100% of the EPS waste introduce in the plant.
  • Building of a prototype plant for the recycling of 500 kg of EPS waste daily, avoiding 146.000 kg/year of EPS waste in landfills and 36.500 kg/year of EPS waste incinerated.
  • Obtaining 0,85 kg of recycled EPS for each kg of EPS waste treated.
  • Manufacture of 25.500 packaging boxes made with 40% EPS recycled and 60% EPS virgin.

Partners:

Video presenttion of the project:

LIFE PROGRAMME

LIFE12 ENV/ES/000754

Programa LIFE

Total budget:1,201,933 €
European Contribution: 50%
Duration: 01/10/2013 – 30/06/2017

Responsible

Alicia Aguado Pesquera

Division of Agrifood and Processes

aliagu@cartif.es

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