EPS News Interview - Peter Connor Peter Connor is Managing Director of Flo-Pak, a leading EPS Packaging recycler in the UK. He speaks to EPS News about EPS recycling. What is the current state of the EPS recycling industry in the UK? Last year was a bad year for recycling plastics. In 1999 we recycled 1,400 tons of post-consumer packaging waste — a 33 per cent reduction from our 1998 figures. However the recent increase in polymer prices has meant that my phone is ringing with people wanting recyclate again, so we are working hard to increase our production levels to 1998 levels. Where do you get your EPS packaging waste?
What do you recycle EPS packaging into? The compacted packaging is granulated and extruded into small pellets which we then re-foam into loose-fill packaging material. We also make Ultra Wood, a 100 per cent recycled synthetic wood product with all the looks and properties of natural wood. This has been used widely in shop fitting by many high-street retailers. We are currently expanding into outdoor leisure products. Are there any new developments in the recycling EPS field?
Lacqrene WT 1451 performs extremely well and several blue chip companies have successfully trialed it. We expect to see products manufactured from this new material on the market soon. Would you like to see the Government acting to support the plastics recycling industry? Yes, I would really like to see the Government helping us. There are two routes it could take a) a financial incentive or b) a penalising system to force companies to buy recycled materials. Personally I believe in co-operation and I would like to see a financial incentive for companies that are prepared to make the effort to change their processes and use recyclate. The main point is that we need help. With assistance the recycling industry can make a big push to increase plastics recycling activity. Then we could be left to get on with it, we don’t need help for and our customers. How would the extra support impact on your business? With a more secure market environment I would like to invest in equipment to expand recycling activity. For example to set up a recycling centre that catered for companies that have small volumes of EPS packaging waste. A locally based EPS recycling centre could take the material, compact it and then we could recycle it. There are thousands of tons of expanded polystyrene that could be usefully recycled from such sources – we just need that little bit of extra support to help get us going.ever — just enough to make the plastics recycling industry economically viable for us.
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Epson Telford recycles EPS packaging Stone chooses EPS for designer packaging Lectern demonstrates versatility of recycled plastics EPS News Interview - Peter Connor, Flo-Pak EPS appears on Gardeners' World
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Most of our EPS is purchased from electrical retailers and manufacturers. The EPS material is compacted to a 30-1 ratio by these companies making it easier to transport and saving on fuel consumption and emissions.
Yes. Last year we worked closely with ATO to produce a new grade of polystyrene crystal that is made with 20 per cent of our recyclate product and 80 per cent virgin material. It was launched on the market as Lacqrene WT 1451; a material that can be used to make moulded components. It is no more expensive than virgin material with the added benefit that it contains recycled EPS packaging.
