A development that could advance the circular economy in the insulation material sector: Austrotherm has put its new recycling facility for EPS (Styrofoam) into full operation. The manufacturer is addressing a central problem in the insulation material industry: the material recycling of expanded polystyrene, which has so far been mostly thermally recycled or landfilled. With the new facility, Austrotherm aims for a closed material loop in which post-consumer and post-industrial EPS scrap is fed back into production.
EPS insulation materials used in thermal insulation composite systems (TICS) or perimeter insulation have a bulk density of 15 to 30 kg/m³ and a lambda value (λ) between 0.032 and 0.038 W/(m·K). The service life ranges from 30 to 50 years depending on the application, meaning that large quantities of EPS waste material will accumulate in the coming decades. The new facility makes it possible to reintegrate these material streams into the production of insulation boards instead of treating them as waste.
Technically, the process is based on mechanical shredding and cleaning of EPS scrap, followed by re-foaming into granulate. According to the manufacturer, the quality of the recycled material meets the requirements for virgin insulation materials according to DIN EN 13163. This is crucial for market acceptance, as planners and processors depend on standards-compliant materials, particularly when used in KfW efficient buildings or according to the requirements of the Building Energy Act (GEG).
From an ecological perspective, the development is relevant: material recycling reduces the CO₂ balance by up to 60% compared to thermal recycling, since the energy-intensive new production of polystyrene is partially eliminated. An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for the recycled EPS is not yet available, but is likely to be pursued in product development to enable verification as part of DGNB certifications.
Economically, the commissioning is a signal to the market: manufacturers such as ROCKWOOL and ISOVER (Saint-Gobain) have already built recycling capacities for mineral wool. With the EPS facility, Austrotherm is closing a gap in the petrochemical insulation material sector. For building material retailers and planners, this means a higher availability of recycled-based insulation materials in the long term – however, it remains to be seen how price levels and market shares will develop, as the economic viability of recycling depends heavily on the availability and purity of the input streams.
