Living Spaces Furniture, a prominent furniture store chain in the American Southwest, has experienced remarkable growth over two decades. It has expanded its presence across the western continents, boasting numerous stores and two distribution centers in Texas. By 2022, the company made significant strides in environmental sustainability by implementing GREENMAX Styrofoam recycling systems in six of its distribution centers, in collaboration with INTCO Recycling. This initiative has enabled Living Spaces to recycle several hundred thousand pounds of Styrofoam waste.
Initially, Living Spaces dealt with their excess Styrofoam by outsourcing it to local recycling firms. However, fluctuating scrap market conditions meant that they sometimes incurred costs to dispose of this material. The introduction of GREENMAX Styrofoam densifiers from INTCO Recycling transformed this situation. These densifiers compact Styrofoam waste into sellable blocks, creating a new revenue stream for Living Spaces while addressing their waste disposal issue.
Expanded polystyrene (EPS), commonly known as Styrofoam, is a favored packaging material due to its versatility and shock-absorbing properties. However, its voluminous nature and non-biodegradability present significant storage and disposal challenges, especially for a large retailer like Living Spaces. The solution came through GREENMAX, a branch of INTCO Recycling. Living Spaces purchased their first GREENMAX foam densifier M-C300 in early 2016, swiftly followed by two more units for other locations, one of which was sent to Silicon Valley.
The GREENMAX Mars Series foam melting machine not only alleviates storage space constraints but also eliminates the cost burden associated with foam packaging disposal. Living Spaces geared up to open their third Texas distribution center, continuing their commitment to waste recycling and carbon emission reduction. The company plans to replicate the successful recycling systems of their previous centers in this new facility, incorporating a custom-designed GREENMAX SILO system capable of handling over 1000lbs of Styrofoam waste.
The GREENMAX Melter efficiently reduces foam packaging volume by a 90:1 ratio, significantly easing storage challenges. Furthermore, this recycling initiative has opened up a new revenue stream for Living Spaces. INTCO Recycling buys back the compacted Styrofoam at competitive prices for use in manufacturing recyclable products like mirror frames, turning what was once considered trash into a profitable resource.
Living Spaces' successful partnership with GREENMAX has set an example for other U.S. companies, leading to widespread adoption of GREENMAX plastic foam recycling solutions. Globally, over 1000 GREENMAX machines have been sold across 68 countries since 2010. The brand's success is attributed to the high quality of its machines, exemplary customer service, and comprehensive recycling solutions offered by INTCO Recycling.
For more information about GREENMAX innovative foam recycling solutions, interested parties are welcome to seek further details.