Plastics Industry call to recycle building offcuts

Industry body Plastics New Zealand wants to encourage better handling practices of EPS on building sites to reduce the amount of construction EPS waste reaching New Zealand landfills.

Building products such as thermal insulation and pod flooring now account for nearly three quarters of the 8500 or so tonnes of expanded polystyrene (EPS) manufactured in New Zealand annually.

However while the material has a number of significant upsides, there can be issues due to poor handling and storage once a product is delivered to a building site. If not protected, stored and cut correctly, EPS can get damaged and break up, becoming a litter and waste problem – not to mention a waste of money if the product is no longer usable.

To this end Plastics New Zealand is providing best practice advice on how to avoid such issues.

“We are keen to help reduce litter and increase recycling,” says Plastics New Zealand Business Manager Ken Sowman.

“Our members offer a recycling service providing bags for clean offcuts at building sites, and a regular collection. They reuse the ‘waste’ to make new products like waffle pods where it can make up to half the product.

“We would like to see tradespeople play a greater role in managing their waste. Why pay landfill fees when manufacturers offer a service that benefits customers and the environment?”

“However,” Ken adds, “builders can also take advantage of having their material cut to specific size to avoid creating waste offcuts in the first place.”

For more information please discuss with our EPS Manufacturing Member Companies involved in this inititative:

Barnes Plastics Ltd
Bondor Ltd
Expol Ltd (Including Long Industries and Long Plastics Ltd)
EPS Foam Ltd
Hope Moulded Polystrene
Koolfoam Ltd
Long Panel Ltd
Styrobeck Ltd

To download the Polystyrene on Building Sites Sheet as a pdf click here