Large-Scale EPS Recycling and Shredding Solutions

From large appliance packaging and building insulation panels to precision instrument cushioning, large-scale EPS (expanded polystyrene, commonly known as styrofoam) is ubiquitous in our lives. With its excellent cushioning and insulation properties, it protects countless goods. However, once these "white treasures" have fulfilled their purpose, their over 98% air content and enormous volume make them one of the most troublesome materials in the logistics and recycling fields. How can we reduce the volume of these large EPS blocks to realize their true recycling value? The first step is undoubtedly efficient shredding.

Indiscriminately discarding or directly landfilling discarded large EPS blocks is a huge waste of land resources and a complete waste of potential recyclable resources. Promoting its recycling has become a global environmental consensus, and its necessity is mainly reflected in:

EPS itself is a pure polystyrene resin. After recycling and melt granulation, it can be made into recycled PS granules. These granules are widely used in the production of various products such as photo frames, picture frames, stationery, exterior wall insulation panels, and hangers. Recycling one ton of EPS is equivalent to saving several tons of petroleum resources and can create considerable economic returns. However, all of this depends on solving the high transportation and storage costs.

EPS is extremely difficult to degrade in the natural environment, lasting for hundreds of years. Discarded EPS foam not only damages the urban landscape but also easily breaks into tiny particles, entering the soil and water bodies, posing a long-term threat to the ecological environment. Incineration is also undesirable because incomplete combustion produces harmful gases. Therefore, establishing an efficient recycling system is the fundamental way to solve "white pollution."

Governments worldwide are vigorously promoting circular economy policies, setting clear requirements for the recycling rate and reuse rate of packaging materials. Many regions have legislated to prohibit EPS landfilling. If companies can proactively establish a closed-loop EPS recycling system, they can not only fulfill their social responsibilities and build a green brand image but also anticipate future policy trends and gain a competitive advantage.

The biggest obstacle to recycling large blocks of EPS is not the material itself, but its physical form. The recycling process faces three core pain points:

Exorbitant transportation costs: EPS has a very low density (typically 15-25 kg/m³). A truck that can only carry a few hundred kilograms of EPS foam has transportation costs far exceeding the value of the material itself, making long-distance recycling economically unfeasible.
Huge storage space requirements: Recycling sites need to occupy a large amount of space to store this bulky material, resulting in high storage costs.
Low efficiency of subsequent processing: Large, irregularly shaped EPS cannot be directly fed into a hot melt machine or cold press for volume reduction; it must be pre-processed to reduce its size to ensure the efficient and stable operation of subsequent equipment.
Therefore, shredding pre-processing has become a crucial link in the entire large-scale EPS recycling chain, determining the economic viability and feasibility of the project.

Facing the challenges of recycling large blocks of EPS, Aceretech's HS series single-shaft hard plastic shredder, with its unique design and powerful performance, has become the ideal pre-processing solution.

1. Powerful feeding and shredding capabilities, fearless of "large sizes"

The HS series features a spacious feeding opening (e.g., the HS1200 model has a feeding opening of 1200*1850mm), which can easily accommodate oversized EPS materials such as appliance packaging boxes and building insulation boards, eliminating the need for manual pre-cutting and significantly saving labor costs. Its low-speed, high-torque rotor design smoothly "bites into" and shreds large blocks of EPS, rather than high-speed impact, avoiding dust dispersion and ensuring a clean working environment.

2. Intelligent hydraulic pushing system, eliminating "material jamming" and "idling"

EPS material is light and elastic, and ordinary shredders are prone to "slipping" or "bridging" of the material in the chamber. The intelligent hydraulic pusher equipped in the HS series is its core advantage. This system monitors the spindle load through sensors and automatically adjusts the feeding speed and pressure:
When the load is high: The feeder automatically slows down or retracts to prevent motor overload.
When the load is low: The feeder automatically accelerates, forcefully pressing the material towards the blades to ensure the shredding chamber is always full of material, achieving maximum processing efficiency.
This intelligent "on-demand feeding" mode completely solves the problem of EPS material being fluffy and difficult to feed, ensuring continuous and efficient operation of the equipment.

3. Precise discharge control, paving the way for subsequent volume reduction

The HS series shredder is equipped with a replaceable screen, which can shred EPS into uniformly sized fragments (usually 40-100mm adjustable). These uniform fragments have the following key advantages:
Greatly improved volume reduction ratio: The bulk density of the shredded EPS fragments can be increased by 5-8 times, providing ideal raw materials for subsequent hot melt or cold pressing processes, maximizing the efficiency of the volume reduction equipment.
Easy to transport and store: The shredded material can be transported through screw conveyors or pneumatic conveying systems, with a high degree of automation and significantly reduced storage space requirements.

4. Low-wear, high-reliability design optimized for EPS

Although EPS is relatively soft, processing large quantities still tests the stability and durability of the equipment. The HS series shredder adopts a heavy-duty frame and external bearing design, effectively preventing dust intrusion and extending bearing life. Although its blade system is designed for hard plastics, it experiences minimal wear when processing EPS, resulting in long maintenance cycles and very low operating costs.

* Cost reduction and efficiency improvement: Reduces the volume of EPS by more than 80%, directly lowering transportation and storage costs, making long-distance recycling possible.
* Process optimization: As the "pioneer" of the recycling line, it provides stable and uniform raw materials for subsequent melting and granulation or volume reduction processes, improving the efficiency of the entire line.
* Intelligent and worry-free: Fully automatic hydraulic feeding and PLC control system reduce manual intervention, enabling unmanned or minimally manned operation. * Fast Return on Investment: By significantly reducing logistics costs and increasing the value of recycled materials, it helps recycling companies quickly recover their investment and achieve profitability.

The recycling of large EPS blocks is essentially about reducing volume. Choosing equipment that can efficiently and intelligently complete the pre-processing task is crucial. The Aceretech HS series single-shaft shredder, with its powerful processing capacity, intelligent control system, and optimized design for large materials, perfectly plays a primary role in the EPS recycling line, providing a solid guarantee for the economic viability and feasibility of the entire recycling process.
If you are troubled by the challenges of recycling large EPS blocks and hope to find a solution that can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency, the HS series shredder will be your ideal partner.

Click the link below to watch our factory test video and experience its efficient processing capabilities!