RecycleTech Diverts Florida’s Polystyrene

An Innovative Waste and Reduction Grant from the State of Florida is helping RecycleTech Corp. place its EPS (expanded polystyrene) recycling machines in several businesses and county recycling facilities throughout Florida.

The units can reduce the volume of polystyrene by a multiple of 90, using what RecycleTech calls “a special heat extrusion method that melts and compresses the polystyrene into a solid heavy ingot.”

That ingot, according to RecycleTech, “becomes the base raw material in the production of other plastic products such as plastic picture frames or soles for shoes and the backs to CD jewel cases.”

Says Howard Adams, general manager of RecycleTech, Elmwood Park, N. J., “This process eliminates polystyrene from the waste stream.” RecycleTech’s XT 500 consists of a crusher, a conveyor and an extruder capable of processing 500 pounds of EPS per hour.

Feedstock can include school cafeteria trays, coffee cups and packaging material.

Since the first unit was placed in June of 2008, more than 1 million cubic feet of landfill space has been saved, according to RecycleTech. The company says that amount is equivalent to more than 420 53-foot trailers loaded with expanded polystyrene foam.

The low density of lightweight EPS increases its cost of transportation, so EPS historically has been a difficult material to recycle.

RecycleTech produces the line of equipment that shreds and processes via heat, polystyrene and other plastics into a solid ingot. The company, which has placed plants in the United States, China, South Korea, New Zealand and Ecuador, will then purchase the condensed ingot from the customer.

More information on RecycleTech can be found at www.recycletechno.com.