Expanded polypropylene : Olivo’s choice for an eco-friendly and circular solution

Expanded polypropylene is a thermoplastic whose polymers soften when heated and harden on contact with cold. 100% recyclable mono-materials, expanded polypropylene contains no volatile organic compounds, heavy metals or substances harmful to the ozone layer. It generates no waste and helps reduce the carbon footprint. The BOX is therefore the result of the agglomeration of Expanded Polypropylene beads by steam. The eco-responsibility of this material is accentuated by its technical characteristics: resistant and stable, having a shape memory allowing it to deform without breaking and to retain its initial structure. Also, Expanded Polypropylene products have a longer lifespan and provide their users with real logistical support.

As early as Antiquity, Anaxagoras of Clazomenes already defended the conservation and transformation of matter by stating that “nothing is born or perishes, but already existing things combine, then separate again”.

100% recyclable material, our ePP integrates a reuse sector. This waste management strategy adopted by Olivo therefore contributes to the enhancement of a circular economy.
There are different types of recycling: grinding – chemical (depolymerization) – green
After 3 to 4 recycling cycles, the compacted ePP ball is weakened and degrades more easily. Indeed, repeated compaction leads to a gradual loss of mechanical properties. There are therefore two options to be able to re-integrate them into the BOX production chain:

• Option 1 – They are associated with virgin material in higher density;
• Option 2 – They are subjected to chemical recycling by depolymerization (oil bath separating molecules) to recreate monomers which will subsequently be re-associated;