BEWI opens Norway’s first expanded polystyrene recycling facility

BEWI has brought a new expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling facility into operation in Norway, marking the first installation of its type in the country.

The facility is located at BEWI’s existing insulation production site in Fredrikstad and is intended to support the local collection and reuse of EPS material. Recycled content from the site is to be reintegrated directly into the manufacture of new insulation products.

The installation forms part of BEWI’s wider EPS collection and recycling network across Europe. The plant is equipped with sorting and mechanical processing technology and is designed to handle up to 3,500 tonnes of EPS annually. Feedstock for the facility is sourced from regional insulation and packaging waste streams and is processed into raw material suitable for use in new products, including EPS and XPS insulation ranges.

We are proud to open a recycling facility here in Fredrikstad. Using in-house recycled material directly in the production allows us to meet the growing demand for insulation products with recycled content, driven by both the market and regulations.

This project would not have been possible without close support from our partners. A special thanks to Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, Sintef Community, and local stakeholders. Effective EPS recycling relies on collaboration across the value chain, from collection and logistics to recycling and production. These partnerships are essential to make the system work in practice and at scale.

Jens Christian Hernes, Managing Director of BEWI’s insulation operations in Norway.

According to the company, the new Norwegian site contributes to its ongoing efforts to increase EPS recovery and expand the proportion of recycled content used within its product portfolio. BEWI reported collecting more than 38,000 tonnes of EPS across its European operations in 2025.

In addition to the Norway facility, BEWI operates EPS recycling plants in Sweden, Czechia, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands, and holds a minority interest in a recycling operation in Poland.