A lesser known fact is that EPS, commonly known as Thermocole in India, is 100% recyclable. A common misconception is that EPS is not recyclable because it is not bio-degradable. But it was never meant to be!

Thermocole belongs to a category of plastics known as thermoplastics. Thermoplastics are synthetic resins that become plastic on heating and harden on cooling, thus we are able to repeat these processes an infinite number of times, as long as it is processed effectively.

We need to understand that plastics were never made for single use purposes. They were made to be recycled and this can be done in several different ways. The 3 different types of recycling are: upcycling, downcycling, and recycling.

Upcycling increases the value of the waste being upcycled by transforming it into a product of greater value. Downcycling decreases the value of the waste being downcycled by transforming it into a product of lesser value. Recycling maintains the value of the waste by transforming it into a product of the same value.

Thermocole is generally downcycled. However, we use a method by which Thermocole can be recycled instead. We process Thermocole waste in such a way that it is re-used to make new Thermocole products.

In March 2021, we introduced RecyCole – our Thermocole recycling initiative – in Pune, with the goal to ensure that no Thermocole waste is found lying on our streets, in our rivers, or dumped in landfills. We collect waste Thermocole, perform mechanical recycling, and ensure that all the waste material is re-used to make new EPS products.

The biggest advantage of our recycling process is that it does not use any heat or chemicals, both of which take a toll on the environment. This means that zero pollution is. Our method involves simply crushing the Thermocole waste material back into granules that are then mixed with virgin materials during the regular production process.