BEWI, a member of EUMEPS, has inaugurated Sweden’s first EPS (expanded polystyrene) recycling hub in Norrköping, representing a significant step forward in advancing the circular economy. The facility not only boosts BEWI’s recycling capacity by 40% but also demonstrates the environmental and economic benefits of sustainable resource management. This development aligns with EUMEPS's advocacy for greater recycling infrastructure and the transition toward climate-neutral, resource-efficient solutions in Europe.
Increasing Recycling Capacity and Closing the Loop
The newly launched facility in Norrköping is an approach to addressing the growing need for sustainable waste management. By collecting used EPS—commonly found in packaging and insulation materials—and converting it into raw materials for reuse, the hub is a crucial component of a closed-loop system.
Each month, the facility can recycle between 700 and 800 tonnes of EPS, equivalent to the capacity of 6,000 trucks of non-compressed material. This prevents significant volumes of waste from being incinerated, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving valuable resources.
Johan Borggren, Regional Manager at BEWI Circular Sweden, highlighted the broader significance of this initiative, stating: "The new facility in Norrköping is a major contribution to our, as well as our customers’, goals of closing the circular loop. We can now ensure that EPS is not discarded or incinerated but instead reintroduced into the production cycle."
This development not only supports BEWI's circularity goals but also aligns with broader European ambitions to reduce waste and encourage efficient resource use, a priority championed by EUMEPS and the European EPS industry.
Strategic Location and Circular Innovation
The choice of Norrköping as the site for this hub was strategic. Its central location within Sweden ensures efficient transportation of materials to and from BEWI’s collection facilities across Europe. This efficiency reduces the overall environmental impact of logistics, contributing further to the facility’s sustainability credentials.
The hub is designed with future scalability in mind, enabling BEWI to meet the rising demand for circular solutions among its customers. Many industries face increasing regulatory and consumer pressure to adopt sustainable practices, and BEWI’s innovative recycling processes help them meet these expectations.
Elin Sohlberg, Head of Operations at BEWI Circular, explained the broader benefits of their recycling approach: "Our handling of EPS creates a closed loop that saves natural resources, reduces waste management, lowers CO2 emissions, and reduces water consumption."
The hub’s design ensures that every stage of the recycling process—from collection to conversion—is optimised for efficiency and minimal environmental impact, contributing to the long-term viability of EPS as a sustainable material.
Leading the Way in European EPS Recycling
In addition to the Norrköping hub, BEWI operates recycling facilities in Portugal and the Czech Republic, with a combined annual capacity of 35,000 tonnes. In 2022, BEWI collected and recycled 27,000 tonnes of used EPS—an excellent example of the commitment not only by BEWI but also by the entire European EPS value chain to the circularity of EPS.
This achievement reflects BEWI’s commitment to supporting the European Green Deal’s objectives and EUMEPS’s advocacy for scalable, efficient recycling solutions. By increasing its capacity and demonstrating the feasibility of circular systems, BEWI is setting an example for the broader industry while providing practical solutions to the challenges of waste management and resource efficiency.
Conclusion: A Model for Sustainable Development
The opening of BEWI’s Norrköping recycling hub is a landmark achievement in the push for a circular economy, demonstrating how innovative recycling solutions can reduce waste, conserve resources, and support climate-neutral goals. This facility exemplifies the kind of infrastructure investments necessary to achieve EUMEPS’s vision for a sustainable and resource-efficient Europe.
By turning waste into valuable raw materials, BEWI’s efforts highlight the practical and environmental benefits of closing the loop on EPS products. As the demand for circular solutions continues to grow, initiatives like this recycling hub will play a crucial role in advancing Europe’s sustainability agenda.