Plastic insulation – a sustainable solution

Building our future
Sustainable Insulation with
Polystyrene Foam
Energy efficiency, safety, versatility, cost-effectiveness
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“Sustainable insulation is one of my major concerns –
I always seek to integrate early on in my building projects
durable, energy efficent insulation solutions. Polystyrene
foam boards are the most cost-effective solution, yielding
high energy efficiency potential and hence seriously
mitigating climate-changing co2 emissions”
Reinhold Kasterman, architect
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Polystyrene Foam for sustainable insulation
What is Polystyrene Foam?
Recycling Polystyrene Foam boards
Polystyrene (PS) foam is a lightweight, rigid plastic
insulation material, available either as EPS (Expanded
Polystyrene, produced from polystyrene beads) or as
XPS (directly Extruded Polystyrene).
Polystyrene is already one of the most recycled plastics.
Unlike the main competitive insulation materials,
polystyrene is easily recycled. For instance, not only do
EPS and XPS manufacturers recycle factory waste into
insulation boards, but post-consumer EPS packaging
waste is also collated and included to optimise costs and
reduce the need for virgin material.
EPS and XPS foam boards have been widely used for
many decades in the construction and building industry.
Tailor-made for thermal and acoustic insulation needs and
easy-to-use in all types of buildings, they offer a versatile
and cost-effective insulation solution.
Sustainable insulation with Polystyrene Foam
Polystyrene foams are durable materials, designed to
offer superior, constant insulation performance over their
entire service life of more than 50 years.
Recent studies have demonstrated that building
insulation is the most cost-effective way to significantly
alleviate the global warming effect of greenhouse gases
by drastically reducing CO2 emissions.
Buildings insulated with polystyrene foam boards achieve
optimum levels of energy efficiency, meeting the most
stringent pieces of relevant legislation, including the
EU Directive 2002/91/EC on the Energy Performance
of Buildings.
Polystyrene has a long life time in buildings and so there
is little current need for recycling this material.
Since polystyrene foam does not degrade or deteriorate,
it can be readily recycled in several ways at the end of its
useful lifetime:
• Added back into new polystyrene foam
insulation boards
• Moulded into new applications such as plant pots,
coat hangers, park benches or fence posts
Recovering the stored energy in Polystyrene Foam
• Because polystyrene is made from oil, the stored
energy of both EPS and XPS boards can be recovered
in modern incinerators and then used for local heating
and for the generation of electricity
For ultimate disposal, polystyrene remains inert and
will not decompose to generate greenhouse gases or
degenerate to pollute the air, water or ecosystems.
Polystyrene in soil can also aid aeration for better
regeneration.
The use of polystyrene foam reduces significantly heat
losses and related CO2 emissions from heating and/or air
conditioning, thus contributing strongly to mitigate the
effects of global warming.
Polystyrene foam boards have no Global Warming
Potential: they contain no ozone-depleting substances,
and deliver optimal energy efficiency at an affordable price.
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Optimising insulation with Polystyrene Foam
Key properties of Polystyrene Foam
Applications
Technical versatility
• Lightweight, rigid & easy to install
• Long-term, durable material (over 50 years of
service life)
• Excellent thermal insulation performance,
constant over time
• Structural integrity throughout service life,
no ageing effect
• Resistant to water absorption, no sagging
• Resistant to mechanical loadings, walkable,
high compression strength
• Mould resistant, inert, biologically neutral
• No smouldering or glowing in case of fire
• Shock absorption. Proven efficiency for
seismic isolation
Polystyrene foam is used for a wide range of insulation
applications, in the residential, commercial, institutional
and industrial building sectors. From roof and floors to
walls, from cavity fill to perimeter insulation, polystyrene
foam provides versatile insulation solutions, adapted to
every situation.
Health & safety
• No need for personal protective equipment
or clothing for workers
• No irritation from released fibres or dust in
installation and use
• No chemical binders
• Safe for consumers - no exposure to harmful
substances during service life
Environmental performance
• Stable and durable (no degradation by moisture,
rotting, or mould)
• Low environmental impact during production
and installation
• Easily and completely recyclable/recoverable,
mechanically (EPS) or thermally (EPS and XPS)
Fit and cost-effective
• PS foam cover the most complete range of
applications supported by European and national
building standards and technical approvals
• An extremely cost-effective insulation material
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Polystyrene foam is also used widely for civil engineering.
Despite its light weight, its exceptional compressive
strength and block rigidity means that it is an ideal
structural base infill material for many civil engineering
applications. Applications include road, railway and
bridge infrastructures where not only does it bring long
term mechanical performance but also a reduction in
construction time.
Thermal insulation
of steep roofs
Effective insulation, even in
the sharpest roof inclinations
Ceiling heat insulation
Additional noise and heat protection
Thermal insulation
of flat roofs
Interior fitting
Easy-to-fit heat
and noise protection
On top of a watertight layer,
it ensures optimal heat control and
allows walking on roof without
harming insulation properties
Sandwich boards
Exterior wall insulation
Perimeter insulation
Protection of foundations
from moisture and frost
Heat regulation,
protection against water
Floor insulation
Ballasted insulation, combined
with e.g. gypsum boards
Preventing heat losses, protection
against noise and used as a support
for underfloor heating pipes
Seismic isolation
Excellent shock absorbing properties
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Facts & figures on Polystyrene Foam
Polystyrene Foam in use
• Over 200 million homes in Europe are insulated with
polystyrene foam
• Polystyrene foam boards offer an average service life
of over 50 years, with constant insulating performance
• Easy to install, polystyrene foam is a rigid and
lightweight material
• Stable and durable, its resistance to mould, rotting
and moisture make it an ideal solution in difficult,
humid climate conditions
Energy aspects
A study by GUA in 2006 demonstrated that the use of
plastic insulation in buildings has a dramatic impact
already on energy consumption, without having yet
optimised the insulation levels. It concluded that the
net energy saving of all plastics insulation (floors, walls,
roofs) in Europe is a minimum of 9500 Million GJ, or:
• 20% of the total final energy consumption of the
EU in 2002
• 800 big oil tankers (260kt crude oil each)
•
The energy needed by 61 nuclear power plants with
1500MW power
The political and environmental emphasis today is on costeffective energy efficiency and climate change mitigation.
The polystyrene foam industry, as an important part
of the broader insulation industry, has a major role to
play in supply of thermal insulation materials to reduce
thermal energy losses in buildings and help meet rapidly
approaching legislative deadlines.
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Health & Safety
• Polystyrene foam boards can be safely manipulated
without specific personal protective equipment
or clothing
• There is no irritation from released fibres or dust in
installation and use
An essential industry
• Insulation is recognised as the most immediate
and affordable means to fight climate change. The
polystyrene foam industry substantially contributes to
meeting the European regulatory agenda, promoting
insulation at an affordable price in order to reduce
energy demand and consequent CO2 gas emission.
• There are 22 EPS production facilities, 56 XPS
production facilities, and around 604 EPS converters
in Europe, distributed across all countries to serve
local needs optimally
• The polystyrene foam industry employs 65000
workers in Europe
• The value added of the industry is ¤430 million
(excluding trade)
Tailor-made products and services
• Polystyrene foam manufacturers and converters are
present all over Europe, covering local and regional
markets
• Many companies have construction-trained staff
with first-hand experience of building sites and offer
assistance to their customers in selecting, designing
and using their products
A responsible industry
The polystyrene foam industry actively manages the
impact of its products across its entire lifecycle, from
production to end-of-life, at individual company level and
in joint industry actions, such as:
• The elaboration of an XPS Environmental Product
Declaration (EPD), describing the environmental
impact of XPS boards across their lifecycle
• The CE marking of EPS Boards to conform with the
strictest European building standards, notably those
attached to the EU Construction Products Directive
89/106/EEC
• An industry-initiated quality control of EPS boards on
a country by country basis
• Active participation in the EU Risk Assessment of
HBCD (Hexabromocyclododecane) and in its further
handling under the EU REACH Regulation
“Polystyrene foam offers a versatile solution
enabling us to meet at a reasonable cost
stringent insulation requirements in our
building and construction work; easy to use
and safe to handle, polystyrene foam boards
are materials of choice for our industry.”
Eric Misson-Plassard, Purchasing Manager,
Construction company
A Hot Topic
In order to comply with building regulations for fire
performance in several countries, both EPS beads and
XPS boards can be supplied in flame retardant quality.
Flame retarded insulation boards are manufactured
from this material, thus helping to ensure an improved
protection of lives and property in the event of a fire.
The flame retardant properties are currently achieved by
the addition of a small amount of a brominated material:
hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), which is incorporated
into the polymer matrix.
Whilst posing no risk to the insulation board
consumers, HBCD has been identified under a recent
EU Risk Assessment as a PBT substance (Persistent,
Bioaccumalative, Toxic), entailing risk to the environment;
it will therefore be subject to Authorisation under the
EU REACH Regulation as of August 2015. HBCD is also
under review at UN-ECE and UNEP level for possible
classification as a POP (Persistant Organic Pollutant)
substance.
The polystyrene foam industry is committed to working
with the relevant authorities under the REACH and UN-ECE
and UNEP processes to ensure continued use of flame
retarded polystyrene foam.
This brochure is published by EXIBA and PlasticsEurope.
For additional information on polystyrene foam,
please visit www.exiba.org, www.plasticseurope.org
© EXIBA/PlasticsEurope 2012
In line with its commitment to Responsible Care®,
industry is proactively anticipating this evolving
regulatory situation:
• Alternative flame retardants were identified
via a cooperative industry research programme.
One of these new retardants is currently being
commercialised and is likely to progressively replace
HBCD in PS foam board applications requiring flameretarded grade:
– Industry is working with EU and UN authorities to
secure a temporary exemption for the continued
and controlled use of HBCD in PS foam boards
during the transition to a new flame retardant
• HBCD is part of a comprehensive emission control and
reporting programme on brominated flame retardants
(www.vecap.info)
• The PS foam industry is also promoting appropriate
end-of-life treatment for HBCD-containing PS foam
boards
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2012-10
The European Extruded Polystyrene
Insulation Board Association
Avenue E. Van Nieuwenhuyse, 4
B - 1160 Brussels, Belgium
Phone:+32 (0)2 676 72 62
www.exiba.org
Avenue E. van Nieuwenhuyse 4/3
B-1160 Brussels - Belgium
Phone:+32 (0)2 675 32 97
Fax: +32 (0)2 675 39 35
www.plasticseurope.org