Utilisation of Polyurethane Foam Scraps as a Potting Soil Additive

Summary

A potential synergy, close to implementation, is the use of waste off-cuts generated in the production of rigid polyurethane foam boards which are used for building insulation. Approximately 5% of the foam board is lost when the board is cut down to size. The foam scraps can be shredded and added to a potting mix. The addition of polyurethane in the potting soil aids soil aeration.

Industry

Industry Sector	Specific Industry
Building & construction sector	Foam board manufacturing
Agricultural sector	Potting mix producer

Region

New Jersey, USA.

Applied Technologies

• N/A

Triple Bottom Line Aspects (direct at operational level)

Economic	Potential product manufacturing savings Increased product efficiency and quality Lower waste disposal costs for foam board manufacturer
Environment	Landfill diversion Increased resource efficiency
Social	Increased quality of potting mix with increased aeration

Additional Comments

None.

References

• Elements (n.d.) "Examples of By-Product Synergies - New Jersey Project", Retrieved from: http://www.marc.org/Environment/SolidWaste/pdfs/BPS_case_studies.pdf

Last Update

18 January 2007