Recycling extruded polystyrene

[Making chips]

I am looking for a way to recycle XPS (extruded polystyrene) or basically Dow blueboard. I cut this on our router and have about 20 cubic yards of this finely shredded material every couple months. I have found places that will take EPS, and I have contacted the XPS association as well as Dow themselves. No great suggestions as of yet. I have also found $20k extruders that will put this back into a solid form, but the idea of spending that much for a scrap issue dosent seem very cost effective.
Open to any ideas or suggestions.

Thanks,

Paul

[Geof]

Your; "Open to any ideas or suggestions."{ has been sitting there totally ignored for several hours and I am feeling less than entirely serious so here is an idea.

Start a subsidiary business making hypo-allergenic polystyrene stuffed pillows .

[High Seas]

Now, Now Geof - that might be close to a really good idea!
Shredded cellulose is used as a blown in insulation. For all the original purpose of XPS - and now its shredded - 20 cubic yds every few months could make for a nice pile of attic/wall fill.
Making chips - I wonder if dow might have some details on using xps in that form rather than used additional energy to reform into solid.

Outside the bin agaiin!
Jim

[Switcher]

Give this guy a call?

http://www.styromelt.com/images/Styr...nese-Image.jpg


If that first guy does not work out, I found this place in Michigan:

Michigan Polymer Reclaim
107 E Walker Rd
St Johns, MI 48879
(989) 227-1125

.

[Making chips]

Switcher, I think I have seen that guy!! It is crazy what they will load on a bike over there.
I will call the Michigan polymer reclaim this week if I get a chance.

Jim, this stuff would probably make great attic insulation accept for one problem. Any air current at all and you have a blue duststorm. It blows all over the place, and is static charged. It would be great to make something from this, but this is scrap, I dont make (or want to) more just to make something else.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Paul

[HuFlungDung]

Will it dissolve in a solvent? This may be hazardous to your health if not properly done, but at least, it might reduce the volume by a huge factor. You'd need someone who would take the solvent and distill it to recover whatever can be recovered.

[Switcher]

I've read on a few sites that polystyrene is in demand as far as recycling the stuff, also that it's very easy for the manufactures to recycle into new product, the main thing is they want the stuff clean (no food package, health product packages).

I bet you could sell the stuff If you could just find the recycler to buy it.

.

[Geof]

... this stuff would probably make great attic insulation....

I think your local fire inspector may have a different point of view. I imagine it will burn very efficiently.

[Switcher]

Yeah, your best bet is to let a recycler deal with the stuff, heck if he hauled it away for free I would consider that money in your pocket.

.

[Switcher]

Their is a lot of money in recycling!

.

[ImanCarrot]

Don't use it for insulation- if it burns it can give of some nasty gases.

http://www.barrule.com/workshop/imag...oams/index.htm

[Making chips]

No, I wouldn't recommend this for attic insulation. In the "dust" form it is pretty flammable.
XPS when extruded back into a solid form has a burnable energy level slightly less than coal, and from the extrusion company that is selling these recyclers they state that there is no harmful emissions from burning the solids. According to the MSDS sheet the emissions from burning foam are less than burning wood.
I have contacted several local recyclers, and they all take EPS, but no XPS. I have also talked with a couple concrete companies because the foam is an excellent binder with the ash used in concrete production, and it can also be used for mixing lightweight concrete. As I noted before we don't make enough to "supply" someone else for their production needs - like the concrete thing.

Paul