DENVER, CO — (Marketwired) — 10/30/13 — announced today the EPS Industry Alliance (EPS-IA) released its 2012 bi-annual , which shows a steady rise in recycling rates of expanded polystyrene.
Post-industrial and post-consumer EPS recycling increased from 71.3 million to 93.7 million pounds. EPS post-consumer recycling represents 50% of all post-use polystyrene recycled in the US and is one of the highest among all the plastics family. The EPS packaging recycling rate percentage continues to grow steadily.
Mary Burk of ACH Foam Technologies thinks the next step for EPS recycling will be creating more participation among consumers. “The push for increased involvement in take-back programs by commercial and industrial firms has made an impressive impact in EPS recycling. ACH and its partner-members in the association have worked hard to educate commercial customers about take-back programs and initiate creative ways to push the recycling rates higher. We are seeing a good result in the commercial/industrial sector, but now it–s time to elicit a higher level of awareness and increased participation from end-users that will move the post-consumer rates in the same direction,” Burk opines.
The EPS-IA and its members have created several inspired programs to encourage increased participation in the recycling of EPS. One is the Excellence in EPS Recycling Award, which celebrated its inaugural awards ceremony in the spring of this year.
Dart Container won first place for an innovative EPS recycling program in California. ACH Foam Technologies was honored with its client Omaha Steaks in the honorable mention category for their efforts in helping customers find creative ways to recycle the meat coolers and connect customers with resources to send the coolers back to ACH Foam Technologies or a local facility in their area for recycling. Also in this category, the California-based company Waste to Waves was honored for using foam waste in the production of new surfboards.
Several other organizations were also recognized at the event for their efforts. Among these were the City of Baltimore; Rapac for EcoSix; Nutrisystem and partner Foam Fabricators, Inc.; Insulfoam and CLP Technologies; Styrorecycle, and Whirlpool with Sonoco Protective Solutions.
For the EPS-IA–s complete 2012 EPS recycling report visit .
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