Interview to Raquel López of the Band, director of Anape
Known in the professional world of the construction by his acronyms in English, EPS, and by the public in general by marks like Porexpan or Poliespan, the poliestireno expanded is a versatile material, composed in 98% of air. The
It finishes to inaugurate the first centre ECHO EPS of the Basque Country. In what consists?
The centres ECHO EPS are transformative of poliestireno expanded that do the effort to integrate in his activity the recycled of products. By means of a project that began in the year 2000 in which they collaborate Cicloplast and Ecoembes, the centres collect products post consumption and go back them to incorporate to his production in the measure of the possible. In addition to the triturado of clean residue and his incorporation to new product, that is his main mission, also collaborate in the redirección of the residue to another destination that was not the dump.
Which?
To the production of compacted to turn into it new granza or incorporate it to another type of products.
Of where it obtains the material for his back recycled?
The material can come from of very distinct flows, from the commercial and industrial until the domestic, if this is properly separate. Therefore, the centres can receive EPS of shopping centres, local industries, markets or clean points.
Explain us the process that is still in the centres the material for his recycled.
Will depend on the clean and very selected that the residue was. This is a fundamental work that it is necessary to realizar it in the place of origin. The ideal is that the residue was totally clean. In this case, simply tritura and goes back to incorporate to production, generally in small quantities together with the prime matter virgin.
And if it is not totally clean?
In the cases in which it is dirtier or has been compacted, this can go back to turn into granza of poliestireno by means of a thermal sensors process. The own compacted or the granza, depending on his quality, can incorporate to the manufacture of isolation of poliestireno extruido (XPS) or use to improve other destined polymers to applications like urban equipment, hangers, carcasas of CD or soles of footwear.
With what characteristic and provision explains the material recycled that goes out of his centres?
The material recycled no longer has the gas that does him expand, like the prime matter virgin, therefore, to go back to manufacture final products of EPS, will have to mix with this. Can achieve good products for construction and civil engineering with a content in recycled of until 10%. Also it can obtain EPS recycled for aditivar concrete and light mortars that fulfil the requirements of the norm IN 16025-1.
A versatile material
Thanks to his big versatility, the poliestireno expanded uses in very distinct applications.
- Under construction
Mainly in ironingings of isolation for faã§ades, covers, floors and walls of basement. Bovedillas And casetones of aligeramiento of structures and in blocks, cylinders and special pieces for civil engineering.
- In packs and packaging
it employs in the conservation of foods and delicate products (boxes of fish, broccoli, ice creams, medicines…) and like secondary packaging of appliances, electronic products, toys etc.
- Also can use in other applications like fridges, helmets of protection, components for chairs of baby…
With which technology and equipment has to explain the centre to carry out his work?
Is sufficient with that have a crusher and a compactadora. Any transformer is used to to have a crusher because in the process of production is usual to recycle the cuts or defective products. The compactors can purchase when the movement of residue is greater. The importance of the centres is not only the machinery, that is relatively simple, but the management.
To what refers ?
Because of his knowledge of the material and of the business, take advantage of the relations with his surroundings (waste managers, importing or formuladores) and like this, although the quantity of residue that incorporate to production was small, are able to derive the rest so that the resource follow taking advantage of. They are companies really committed.
Which capacity of recycling have the centres ECHO EPS?
The capacity is very big, the problem is that, with the crisis of the construction, the applications where can put the recycled directly (as in blocks for civil engineering) are not having sales, by what do not manufacture . In total the centres ECHO EPS incorporated to production in the year 2012 around 800 tonnes, but the most important figure is that in the distinct modalities of recycled —including the recycled in other products of poliestireno and other compounds—reached more than 4.500 tonnes the past year.
Which difficulties poses the recycled of EPS?
The EPS is 98% air. This is his big advantage like material and his big challenge like residue. Thanks to this quantity of air, is light, resistant and a very good insulator. But once that has finished his (first) useful life turns into a residue that occupies a lot of volume and does not weigh, therefore it is costly to transport. This, joined to that the residue is very disperse by the distinct flows in which it is present, does that the collected independent was complicated.
How they face this challenge the centres promoted by Anape?
To surpass this difficulty Anape is immersed in a specific project to optimise the collected. It treats to help to the centres ECHO EPS to improve his ratio of recycled by means of agreements with waste managers that work with EPS. Usually, they are managing of all type of residue no dangerous (cardboard, other plastics…) that take advantage of the travel to collect it everything; afterwards they commission to distribute it to recycle it of the best possible way according to his quality.
And which is the paper of the association?
Works like centre of information and puts in contact to the producers of waste with the agents and the centres. Like this, the agents help us in the manufacturing of our statistics and in the achievement of our aim: that it do not go any residue of EPS to the dump. In brief will publish the map of managing collaborators in our web and will take out a brochure that will explain the process to all the one who want to participate.
On Anape
Constituted in 1979, the
