Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is always looking
to be greener and recycle more materials from their production
site in Chichester.
One waste material that was difficult to recycle was Polystyrene
(styrofoam), that was until the company’s waste contractor Biffa,
found the solution.
Polystyrene is an excellent packaging material due to its
insulating and protective properties. Unfortunately,
once goods are delivered
and opened then polystyrene becomes a waste material that
companies must pay to dispose of. Large, bulky pieces
of polystyrene
can take up significant space in a waste container which
means it will need to be emptied more often – and therefore
is more costly.
It is conservatively estimated that hundreds of thousands
of tonnes of waste polystyrene is produced and sent to
landfill on an annual basis. This material takes up a
large volume
of
landfill compared to its weight.
Carl Payne, operations manager from Biffa, is always keen
to develop new ways of recycling. According to Carl, “Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars produce around 20-40 large polystyrene trays that
are used to protect the front grill sections of the Phantom
and other chrome parts. At the time the polystyrene would fill
three or more waste containers every week.”
“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars probably produce around half a tonne
of polystyrene per month, which is not a huge amount
so it made it unfeasible for recycling companies to collect and recycle.
The reason it is unfeasible is that polystyrene is
roughly 95% air and only 5% recyclable material. Therefore filling
a lorry with polystyrene is disproportionately expensive
because of the large volume of space it takes up compared to the small
amount of material that can be recycled.”
Biffa manage all aspects of waste management in partnership
with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Carl continued “Biffa’s
philosophy to managing a contract of this nature is to continually
look for new routes to recycle waste. We found an excellent
way for Rolls-Royce to recycle polystyrene using a Styromelt
machine.”
The Styromelt essentially melts polystyrene to form
a dense block of material that is reduced in volume
by
over 95%
of the original material. So a two cubic metre
load of polystyrene
comes out of the machine as a small block 90cm
x 25cm x 5cm. The block can be stored and sold to recycling
companies
who
then turn it into fuels or new products such as
garden
decking.
Carl explains why recycling this material is beneficial, “Firstly,
it reduces the cost of disposing of polystyrene and it frees
up a lot of space in the waste containers. It also means we
continue to help Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reduce the volume of
waste going to landfill and increase recycling rates - all
good news for the environment.”
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars take pride in their credentials
having achieved ISO 14001 certification in
April 2003 and maintaining
this standard ever since. The manufacturing
and headquarters building is a ‘sustainability designed’ building
with a 22,500 square metre 'living roof' planted with thousands
of sedum plants.
Waste management is an important process within
the company and they segregate all waste
via a number
of 'waste islands'
around the site and have a dedicated 'Recycling
Centre' to sort and bale all recyclable wastes.
Carl continues, “Our main objectives are to divert waste
from landfill and reduce cost. Biffa and the manufacturer of
the Styromelt allowed Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to trial the machine
and offered excellent service at a cost effective price. Currently
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are looking to save £2000 - £3000
per year by recycling polystyrene.”
“
Polystyrene is collected daily and put into the Styromelt machine,
once enough is in the machine they can run a melt during the
day and the densified blocks are stored until they have enough
to send for recycling. At a time when recycling, landfill and
the environment are big on the agenda, we hope to make people
realise that polystyrene is a waste material that can be recycled
effectively.”
The Styromelt™ system is designed and built by Styromelt Ltd of Cardiff. For more information visit http://www.styromelt.com or call 029 2038 4416.
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Companies can save
by recycling polystyrene. (PDF Version)
Companies can save
by recycling polystyrene. (Word Version)
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