Frontpage > Recycling Guides > EPE recycling

EPE foam recycling - How to Recycle Expanded Polypropylene Foam

Is Expanded Polyethylene Foam Recyclable?

With the RUNI SK370 EPE compactor your EPE waste is efficiently turned from waste to value! With our compactor you will save money on storage and transportation of the waste and you will have the possibility of selling your compacted EPE waste for further EPE foam recycling.

What Is EPE Foam?

EPE is a material widely used for packaging goods. It is a harmless plastic with no taste or odor, is flexible and has great shock absorption skills, high thermal resistance and a high weight-to-strength ratio.

Even though EPE is highly recyclable and expanded polyethylene foam can be recycled multiple times, a lot of EPE still ends up in landfills or incinerators, which causes environmental issues.

EPE is available in different forms and densities. The RUNI SK370 can handle non-crosslinked EPE. For crosslinked EPE please reach out to us to make sure we can provide a solution.

How to Recycle EPE Foam with a RUNI Compactor:

Step 1: Collect the waste

The first step in EPE foam recycling is collecting the EPE waste. This can be done either by individuals separating their waste in a public waste management facility or by individual companies. The companies can either have their own RUNI SK370 for compacting the EPE, if their amount of EPE is big enough to justify the investment or they can send the collected EPE waste to a recycling company with a RUNI SK370.

Step 2: Compaction in the RUNI Screw press

The RUNI SK370 can be fed both manually and by conveyor belt. The material is fed into a hopper with an installed heavy-duty pre-crusher. The hopper is equipped with photo sensors for automatic start and stop of the machine. This means that the machine requires minimal handling while running and it is perfectly safe for your employees to operate.

After being fed into the hopper the EPE will go through the specially developed heavy-duty pre-crusher, which will cut the material into smaller pieces. These pieces will then by means of the screw and the automatic hydraulic jaws be compacted into solid blocks. Unlike many other machines for handling EPE foam, the RUNI SK370 does not melt the material. The SK370 compacts the EPE foam and only melts the surface of the compacted block, to ensure that it keeps the block form. This is necessary as EPE has a high memory and is prone to re-expand.

Step 3: Pack and ship the compacted EPE for further reycling

The compacted EPE exits the RUNI machine as stable blocks with a melted surface. With the RUNI block divider and crane, the handling and stacking of the blocks on a pallet is made very easy. After being processed in the RUNI SK370 the blocks of compacted EPE can be sold and transported to an expanded polyethylene foam recycling facility.

EPE Foam Recycling – Turn Waste into Value

With the RUNI SK370 for compacting EPE you can reach a density of EPE waste to of up to 600-750 kg/m3. When compacted into solid blocks the EPE waste is easy to handle,does not take up too much room for storage and is easy to transport.

The compacted blocks can be sold for recycling at an EPE foam recycling facility and thus you can turn your waste into value.

Learn How to Recycle Other Waste Materials

Do you have other types of waste, that you would like to recycle? Take a look at our other recycling guides:

Recycling of:

Besides our machines for compacting, we also offer solutions for dewatering of various packaging:

If you need any further information, or you have any questions about the RUNI machines, please fill out the form below. We will contact you as soon as possible.

PET Dewatering Screw Compactor with conveyor belt

Jasar Recycling – PET Deliquifying

Jasar Recycling installed a new Runi SK-370 Deliquifying Compactor for their East Palestine, OH location. “We are very happy with the RUNI SK370 PET Deliquifying system. Right now, we are running the machine in two shifts and the machine is keeping up with all of our plastic material. The nicest feature about the RUNI is that there is barely any maintenance on the system. The RUNI SK 370...

Nen-Products - Beverage Cartons

Separation Leads to Savings on Waste Charges Separation and dewatering in connection with destruction of Tetra Pak cartons turned the waste dry enough for recycling. NEN-PRODUKTER AS in Norway produces juice and smoothies sold in various forms of Tetra Pak cartons. “We have to take care of thousands of units every day due to normal and unforeseen production waste. A major part of this ...

Premier Patterns - EPS

Investment Paid Back Within 12 Months The SK120 meant great savings for small British industrial company. Even with RUNI's smallest screw compactor, waste is turned to value. At the same time, the company got rid of the mess of uncompacted EPS and dust. PREMIER PATTERNS AND CASTINGS LIMITED in the UK produces EPS patterns and moulds in all sizes, especially for the automotive, boat and aerosp...

SK370 for Dewatering Reject from Paper Mill

Skjern Papir - Reject

Dewatered Waste Is Disposed at Lower Cost By compacting and dewatering reject, a paper recycling company avoid having to transport water for no useful purpose. SKJERN PAPIR A/S in Denmark produces 54,000 tons of liner and cardboard from recycled paper annually. In the initial sorting, the paper material is separated out from large, insoluble materials such as plastic, staples and other unwant...

SK370 Screw Compactor for drying PE-film

Folldal Recycling - PE film

Environmentally Friendly and Energy-Saving Drying of PE Film Folldal Gjenvinning saves between 100 and 150 kW / h per production line by pre-drying washed plastic film in a RUNI Screw Compactor. Folldal Gjenvinning, a division of Norfolier Norge AS, is one of Scandinavia’s largest recyclers of plastic film. With its latest production expansion, the division’s annual capacity ...

Screw Compactor for Compacting Airlaid Dust

Dan-Web - Dust

Well Suited for Dust and Waste Products from Airlaid Production Less dust, easier handling and reduced transport costs. The RUNI Screw Compactor represents a great advance in airlaid production waste management. Dan-Web in Aarhus produces machinery and equipment for the manufacture of airlaid products such as nappies, sanitary towels, bed sheets and meat pads – primarily as turn-key pro...

Screw Compactor Dewatering and Compacting Big 20 L. Draught Beer Plastic Containers

Carlsberg Breweries, Denmark

Dewatering Various Cans and Bottles with RUNI Screw Compactor Besides beer cans, Carlsberg Breweries in Denmark also produce Coca-Cola® in aluminum cans and PET-bottles. Carlsberg effective quality control daily sorts out substantial quantities, that needs to be destroyed. For more than 15 years Carlsberg has used a RUNI SK370 for emptying and compacting of PET-bottles. A few years ago th...

Screw Compactor for Compacting Pink Airlaid Dust - Shown in Exit tray

Rexcell, Sweden - Airlaid

Compacting Airlaid Dust with Screw Compactor The Swedish company Rexcell produces tissue and airlaid. They are among the leaders within this business with a high level of technology in their production. The RUNI SK370 was installed under their extraction system to compact the dust before it goes into the waste container. The advantage with a RUNI screw compactor is the continuous operation wi...

Screw Compactor Drying PE-film as part of Washing Line

Systec, Germany - Plastic Film Recycling

Drying PE-Film with RUNI Screw Compactor One of the largest manufacturers of plastic granules from post-consumer waste in Europe, Systec Plastics Eisfeld GmbH in Germany, chose in 2017 to replace their existing installation of screw compactors with 6 new RUNI screw compactors type SK370, into their washing line for PE film, as part of the drying process of the crushed and washed plastic flakes...

Oyak, Turkey - Drying RDF

Drying RDF at a cement factory in Turkey For some years, the Turkish cement company OYAK CIMENTO had tried to find the optimal drying of their incoming RDF, which they use as alternative fuel at their cement kiln. In 2022, a trial was set up with a RUNI SK370Twin. The test showed a very satisfying result bringing the RDF down from above 50% moisture to below 30%. Together with the RUN...

Screw Compactor for Compacting EPS Fish Boxes en Salmon Production

Norlax - EPS Fish Boxes

Environment Friendly EPS Handling Turns Waste to Value Norlax earned a return on its investment in a RUNI SK370 and its housing within 2 years. On a good day, up to 1,000 boxes of salmon are fed into production at NORLAX A/S, Denmark. The huge quantity of EPS boxes used to fill 4 truckloads per day, which commuted constantly between the company’s premises and a waste handling company 30...

Double Screw Compactor Compacting EPS Fish Boxes en Salmon Processing Facility

Vega Salmon - EPS Fish Boxes

Compacting Fish Boxes of EPS (Airpop) with Screw Compactor In 2011 VEGA Salmon built new production facilities in Northern Germany very close to the German –Danish border for processing salmon. The production level is characterized by high flow which requires a high capacity compaction unit. The traditional way of solving high capacity demands is to have a stand alone pre-crusher and a ...

Screw Compactor for Compacting EPS Fish Boxes RUNI SK370

North Landing - EPS Fish Boxes

The RUNI Screw Compactor Has Been Great North Landing, LLC of Clifton, NJ installed a new RUNI SK370 EPS compactor for densifying fish boxes into recycleable logs. “The Runi compactor has been great. It has allowed us to keep our receiving docks clear and clean at all times. In the fish business…a machine like this is a must. Mike, if you ever have anyone who wants to see it fee...

SK370 Screw compactors under Silo for Compacting EPS Fish Boxes

Morpol, Poland - Processor of Fresh Salmon

Compacting Used EPS Fish Boxes with Screw Compactor Morpol in Poland, for many years the world’s largest processor of fresh salmon and today part of the Marine Harvest group. Every day Morpol receives thousands of EPS boxes with fresh salmon and chilling ice. The boxes are only being used once and Morpol therefore uses the RUNI SK370 for effective handling of the empty wet boxes contamin...

SK200 Screw Compactor for Compacting Used Fish Boxes in France

Cap Fraicheur, France - EPS

Solution for EPS-handling with Screw Compactor Cap Fraicheur, a French retail chain with a large sale of fish was looking for a solution to compact their many used EPS fish boxes. Normally they have around 60 kg (130 lbs) per day. Most of the stores are located in city centers, and the available space is very limited. Besides the lack of storage, the odor from the used fish boxes was causing ...

Screw Compactor for Compacting EPS Fish Boxes in Salmon Production

O.H. Fiskeeksport - EPS Fish Boxes

You Don't Scrap an Old RUNI For 25 years, RUNI has supplied the European salmon industry with quality compactors to handle the EPS boxes in which the salmon factories receive their fresh salmon on ice. The industry has experienced growth, and companies who started out with one RUNI, has often had the need to upgrade to a higher capacity. During 2022, RUNI delivered several upgrades, including ...

Supermercati Tosano - EPS fish boxes

EPS Compactors: the efficient and sustainable choice of Supermercati Tosano Supermercati Tosano, an Italian family-run supermarket chain founded in 1970, has found an intelligent solution to manage the growing quantities of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste generated by its stores. With 19 stores mainly present in the Veneto region but expanding throughout Northern Italy, Supermercati Tosano is...

Two SK370 Screw Compactors under a Silo Solution for compacting pre-crushed EPS from product packaging

Rooms To Go - EPS Packaging

Waste Management Creates Profit Large US furniture chain turns over USD 3 million through recycling of packaging In 2007, the US furniture chain Rooms To Go turned over USD 1.75 billion worth of furniture – products packaged using vast amounts of cardboard, wood, plastic and EPS. But already in 1991 the chain introduced a recycling programme that has transformed waste into a profitable ...

SK120 Screw Compactor for Compacting Used EPS from Packaging in England

Chantry Digital - EPS Electronics

Storage Handling Would Be Difficult Without the RUNI SK120 RUNI SK120 has meant tremendous savings for a British retailer, in terms of both space and money. CHANTRY DIGITAL is a British retailer within consumer electronics and hard electrical appliances. The company covers four counties with seven outlets, and has a large nationwide commercial division. At its head office in Trowbridge, Chan...

Screw Compactor Solution for paint buckets

Veglo - Metal Cans

Separating Paint Leftovers from Buckets By separating paint from the buckets and compact the packaging, the waste handling company saves money on both transport and disposal VEGLO MILJØSERVICE AS collects and processes hazardous waste from companies over a wide geographic area in central Norway, including cans and buckets of paint leftovers, around 300 tons p.a. which have to be emptie...

Automatic Solution for EPS with Screw Compactor, Conveyor Belt, and Crane for Block Handling

Silkeborg Recycling Station

Optimises Recycling of EPS (Airpop) with Reason Approx. 30 tons annually or equivalent to more than 60 truckloads of EPS are collected today instead of going into the container with other combustible materials. The EPS has previously been a large part of the combustible fraction, but is now compacted on site and sold for recycling with reduced transport costs. The 30 tons of compacted EPS blo...

Screw Compactor Solution for Dewatering Biogas Reject

Haith Recycling, Great Britain - Biogas Industry

Optimize Biogas Production with Screw Compactor Food waste is very suitable for anaerobic digestion plants. By separating as much of the organic liquid from the packaging the more feed stock is created for the plant and the weight of the packaging is reduced. The packaging normally goes to landfill. Haith Recycling searched the market before deciding upon a RUNI screw compactor. They fo...

SK200 Screw Compactor for Compacting Post Consumer EPS in a container at a public recycling center

Tarm Recycle Station - EPS

Compacting of EPS/airpop for recycling Tarm recycle station compact the gathered EPS, also known as airpop, in the recycle station with a RUNI SK200Twin and sells the compacted EPS blocks for recycling.Earlier the EPS was part of combustibles assorted, but now has to be separated. It has been quite a change for the citizens having to sort it and place it in a different place in the recycle sta...

Vartdal Plast

Vartdal Plast – takes the lead role in Norway From fish box producer to waste collector and LOOP ambassador Vartdal Plast is one of the biggest EPS converters in Norway and even in the Nordic region. The company was founded in 1962 and was, actually, the first company to produce fish boxes from EPS (Expandable Polystyrene). Keeping food fresh and houses warm is the very foundation of V...

Silo System with stand alone pre-crusher, SK370 and silo to compact post consumer EPS

Eco Development - EPS

RECYCLING THE LOCAL EPS WASTE Eco Development is an industry leader when it comes to recycling EPS in the US.Through their commercial and industrial recycling accounts, they handle waste from a variety of businesses, helping them reduce their waste expenses by up to 50 %. They provide their partners with an Environmental Impact Report that shows how much material has been recycled and what t...

Waste disposal - Dust

RUNI compaction system as a part of a Dust Extraction Systems The RUNI SK370 compaction system has been installed as a capture element and transportation of the dust discharge of an extraction system at a German waste disposal company, that sorts waste and recycles raw materials. The RUNI compactor is sealed, which makes it perfect for this purpose. The dust will be trapped inside the compac...