For decades EPS has been taken back and recycled in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Millions of tons of CO2 have been saved as EPS construction cut offs and packaging materials have been recycled into new EPS products. This has been done under company brands or national association guidelines. On July 5th we take EPS recycling to the next level and launch the pan-European brand EPS Cycle.

EPS Cycle is a pan European take back system, that describes how used EPS can effectively be taken back for use in the production of new EPS materials. As such it is a mark of commitment to the circular economy for both the companies and the national associations associated with EPS Cycle.

EPS Cycle manages EPS materials from construction as well as packaging. The National EPS Industry Association furthermore seeks to establish correct and effective collection and sorting of EPS demolition waste.

At the event Serena Klein from IVH (the German EPS Insulation Association) explains how EPS cut offs have been collected and recycled in Germany for the last 30 years, and Rogier Goes from Stybenex (the Nederlands EPS Association) and Chresten Heide-Anderson (the Danish EPS Association) will explain about EPS recycling options and take-back systems in the Netherlands and Denmark, which also includes EPS packaging.

The event will also include information about EPS recycling worldwide, where EPS protective and insulated packaging is already recycled at scale and in practice in accordance with the proposed UN criteria. In fact more than 4.2 billion people across four continents live in countries where EPS is recycled at scale and in practice.

With the launch of EPS Cycle it will be easier to ensure recycling of EPS construction waste as well as EPS packaging waste.

 It is the ambition that EPS Cycle will cover at least 15 countries by 2025 and more than 30 countries in 2030. This means that EPS Cycle wants to compete with the most ambitious take-back systems in the construction industry.