How to Recycle EPS

Used EPS, also called Styrofoame or expandable polystyrene foam, is light, hygienic and commonly used to pack food, drinks, fragile and deformable goods. Usually, EPS products are 98% air and only 2% PS. It has been a big environmental problem due to the fact that the material is difficult to recycle and costly to transport. Harden Machinery has been dedicated to EPS volume reduction technologies and the EPS densifier is one of our major products. With our EPS densifiers, the EPS foam blocks are compacted into densified logs and can be easily transport for further processing such as extrusion pelletizing.

 Recycle EPS with EPS Compactors

The HARDEN EPS cold compactor with the principle of auger compaction. The operator of the machine puts the used EPS blocks (Styrofoam) into the hopper. The knives inside the machine will shred the EPS foam blocks into smaller flakes. The flakes will be pushed into the compaction chamber and be compressed, while the air inside the material is squeezed out due to the shear breaks the foam bobbles. There is a pressure adjustment device at the end of the compression chamber which can adjust the volume reduction ratio.

EPS densifiers are widely used in fish processing plant, electronic factories, appliances stores, and the supermarkets. EPS densifiers make it profitable for municipalities and businesses to recycle EPS foam. The light EPS foam scrap is densified to absolute minimum, up to 50 to 1 volume reduction, reaching a densify up to 400kg/m³. With this significant volume reduction, the densified EPS foam will takes up much less storage space, and transportation of the logs is cost saving and residual value of the foam scrap is higher. The machine is energy saving, it generates no odor, and it is convenient for off-and-on operation.

 Technical Specifications of EPS Compactors

Technical data are subject to change. Complete EPS recycling systems with extrusion pelletizing line is also available.