End-of-life treatment of EPS-based building insulation material – An estimation of future waste and review of treatment options

• Development of spatio-temporal estimation approach for future EPS-based ETICS waste. • 330 kt of EPS waste from ETICS is estimated to occur in Germany between 2020-2040. • Amount of EPS-based ETICS waste and its increase over time varies regionally. • Solvent-based recycling seems promising from economic and environmental perspective. • Quantitative analyses of system needed to derive optimal waste management solution. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) used in External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) is mainly disposed of in waste incineration plants. However, alternative recycling options need to be identified as capacities for this waste treatment are limited and the amount of EPS-based ETICS waste is expected to increase. Herein, it is necessary to quantify the future waste masses with regard to regional distribution as EPS-based ETICS waste is generated decentrally. Furthermore, consistent information on alternative treatment options for EPS-based ETICS waste is lacking. First, we estimate the amount of upcoming EPS waste from ETICS in Germany with a high spatial resolution. Second, we evaluate state-of-the-art waste management options regarding economic, legal and environmental aspects. We find that waste masses will increase from 3 to 33 kt (2020-2040) with large spatial deviations. We conclude that solvent-based recycling seems promising, but more sophisticated analyses are required, i.e. planning of the future waste treatment infrastructures.