Anape, Coexpan, Cicloplast, El Corte Inglés and Total Petrochemicals are the entities that make up the consortium behind this ground-breaking sustainable project in Europe that has received the LIFE grant from the European Commission.
Boxes made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), known as airpop, are commonly used to package, transport, and display fresh products such as fish, thanks to their excellent properties of thermal insulation, protection, and food safety. However, a large share of these boxes end up in landfills throughout Europe. The Consortium formed by ANAPE (National Association for Expanded Polystyrene), COEXPAN, CICLOPLAST, EL CORTE INGLES and TOTAL PETROCHEMICALS IBERICA have just started a research project slated to run for 3 years (July 2017 – July 2020), called EPS-SURE, to offer a technically, environmentally, and economically viable solution to convert this waste into a valuable resource.
A highly innovative project on the Circular Economy of Plastics
The pilot plant in the facilities of TOTAL PETROCHEMICALS IBERICA in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona) will demonstrate that it is possible to manufacture recycled polystyrene (rPS) with suitable quality to satisfy the high demanding requirements for applications in food contact. This ambitious and innovative project that will transform fish boxes into food packages, has been supported by the European Commission as part of its LIFE Programme for Environment, and is part of the EU’s new strategy to move towards a Circular Economy.
The EPS SURE project will be developed in Spain. Also it can be expected to transfer and replicate the results in other European countries, with the support of prestigious international experts in the subject.
It is estimated that the number of EPS boxes sent to landfill in Europe could be reduced by 80% by promoting recycling.