Polyurethane Foam Waste
Energy Recoverable as RPF Raw Materials
Polyurethane foam waste generated on the construction sites,
can be reused as energy recoverable materials

What is RPF (Refuse Paper and Plastic Fuel)?
RPF is solid fuel which is prepared with waste of plastic, paper and small piece of woodmaterials (waste wood) as raw materials.
RPF is used as fuel in Paper Mills or Iron Mills as alternative of Coal.
Waste of Rigid Polyurethane Spray Foam can be added to other waste materials as one ofraw materials.

Current status of recycling polyurethane foamwaste●Current status of recycling of waste● generated on construction sites
More than 50% of waste is not recycled orreused because the ratio of reclamation andsimple incineration is more than 50%.
The ratio of RPF is only 8.8%.

Excerpt from Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry "Surveillance study for making to RPF
using polyurethane foams waste" investigation
report published in March, 2008

Adaptability to Environment
RPF is a fuel based on effective use of the possession energy of wastes and has a highcalorie that corresponds to coal. (RPF has 27.2MJ/kg=about 6,500 kcal/kg)
It is possible to recover waste materials, which are simply incinerated, as a coal substitution
fuel.
Energy of raw material for
RPF(A) 558×106 MJ

Waste
Papers

Waste
Woods

Effective Energy of RPF(E) 524X106 MJ

Manufacturing of RPF

Waste
Plastics

RPF Product

The amount of energy for each
unit w eight is show n by a blue
character. 27.2X103 MJ/t

25.5×103MJ/t

Coal Saving
20,521 ton

Product of RPF
Diameter:35mm
Length:30-100mm

Collection Energy(B) 14.2X106 MJ

Manufacturing Energy(C) 16.9X106 MJTransportation Energy(D) 2.25X106 MJ

Raw materials
Collection

Electric pow er

PRF Transportation

692MJ/t

824MJ/t

About 70,000 drums
as the crude petroleum .

123MJ/tExcerpt from CSR report in 2006 of Ogawa Econos Inc.

How many percentage of energy can be reused by producing RPF from wastes?
( Inherent energy material of waste) ( Energies for Collecting wastes, Manufacturing and Transporting RPF) = ( Effective Energy)
100 %
6.4 %
93.6 %
About 35% of CO2 emission can be reduced by making the RPF from Polyurethane foam waste.
＊By substituting the current fossil fuel (as coal) to RPF, CO2 exhausted from them can be reduced.
＊The raw material composition ratio of RPF; Polyurethane foam waste 10%, other waste plastics 50%,
and waste papers or waste woods 40%

RPF used by Polyurethane foam waste
Results of verification test for producing RPF used by polyurethane foam waste

3-1 Outline of process for producing RPF
・Used materials :Scraps from polyurethane spray foam processing on construction sites.
Polyurethane foam, Polyethylene sheet, Masking tape (paper)
・Used equipment: WP-375 made by TAZIRI CO., LTD.
Type of extrusion φ35mm type (extruded from 95 nozzles and cut off) production
capability 5-6m3/h.

3-2. Condition of verification test
Polyurethane foam waste

Paper

Waste plastic

Total

Weight(kg)

Ratio

Weight(kg)

Ratio

Weight(kg)

Ratio

Weight(kg)

100

10%

400

40%

500

50%

1000

＊Paper: Waste Paper generated from paper mill
＊Waste plastic: PE sheet, air cap, tray made of PS, and car interior material (PP etc.)＊Verification test place: Shomon Co. Ltd.

3-3. Result of verification test
Quality item
Higher Calorific value (MJ/kg)

Standard ofPaper-manufacture company(A company)
20.9 or more

Measurement result ofexamination sample
28(cal/g)

5000 or more

6800

Moisture(%)

10 or less

3.1

Ash content(%)

10 or less

9.5

Chlorine content(%)

0.3 or less

0.26

Sulfur content(%)

0.2 or less

<0.10

Nitrogen content(%)

1.0 or less

0.68

Diameter (mm)

φ8-50

φ35

Length10-10050-100Shape(mm)OthersExternals are excellent＊The performance of RPF based on waste fills all standard values provided by a paper mill company.

Effect for adoption of processing RPF frompolyurethane foam waste
4-1．
．Reduction of disposal cost
･ Current disposal cost of polyurethane foam waste at general contractors and insulation
system processors (27 companies in total)*)The most answer: 6,000-8,999 ￥/m3.
･Estimated cost of making RPF from polyurethane foam waste.
About 4,000-5,000 ￥/m3*) Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry "Surveillance study for making to RPF using
polyurethane foam waste" investigation report published in March, 2008

There is a possibility that making RPF can reduce the disposal cost of polyurethane foamwaste.

4-2．
．Simplification of manifest management
The final disposal is unnecessary, and it is possible to return it on the same day of E-vote(On regulation of Japan)

4-3.Contribution to environment･Saving of fossil fuel by use of RPF･Reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions

How to collect and transport waste?
●Object materials of receipt
Polyurethane foam waste, Polyethylene Sheet and Masking tape (paper) are materials for thereceipt.
Don’t mix Metallic waste, Polyvinyl Chloride waste, and Concrete waste.
Mixing the food and drink left-over is dangerous, because the gas generated by those rots
might cause a fire of RPF in the factory.
● ● ※Taboo materials●

Efficient method of collection and transportation
For the scale of 500kg or more on one site
Industrial waste
generation site

High-rise building

Direct individual transportation
by a waste collector/hauler

Industrial waste collection/transportation
vehicle (4t packer car) An industrial waste

Polyurethane
foam waste(500kg or more)

A trust contract of the waste
intermediate treatment

RPF treatment facility
RPF treatment doesn't
require the final disposal.

collector/hauler
These traders might be the same

A waste generator
A trust contract of the waste
intermediate treatment

Industrial waste intermediate
treatment trader(RPF treatment)

Excerpt from Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry "Surveillance study formaking to RPF using polyurethane foam
waste" investigation report published inMarch, 2008

Collecting from the locale and transporting it to the RPF disposing facility are efficient.

For the scale of less than 500kg on one siteFor
the scaleof 500kgareor sorted
more ininone
site
Example1. Wastesa construction
site, and transported
by a wing type 10-ton truck.
Industrial waste
generation siteIndustrial waste collection/transportation vehicle
Other industrial wastes
are lowered

Medium-rise building
Polyurethane foam waste
RPF treatment facility

Industrial waste recycling facility

Polyurethane foam waste

Other industrial waste

Other industrial waste①Polyurethane foam waste and otherindustrial waste are sorted/packed
separately.
②Sorted polyurethane foam waste andother industrial waste are loaded intosame collection/transportation vehicle.

Polyurethane foam
waste are lowered
Manifest of Polyurethane foam waste and other industrial
waste is delivered respectively. And a necessary matter isfilled in on Manifest in each facility where the load is lowered.

A trust contract of the waste
collection/ transportation

An industrial waste
collector/hauler

These traders might be the same

Excerpt from Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry "Surveillance study formaking to RPF using polyurethane foam
waste" investigation report published inMarch, 2008

Example 2.

Polyurethane foam waste generated from some sites istransported by one packer car.

Industrial waste
generation site

Patrol collection by thewaste collector/hauler

Medium-rise building
Polyurethanefoam waste

Industrial waste
generation site

Patrol collection by thewaste collector/hauler

Medium-rise building
Polyurethane
foam waste

Industrial waste
generation site

Medium-rise building
Polyurethane
foam waste

Manifest individually is delivered by each waste generator.

A waste generator

A trust contract of the waste
collection/transportation

An industrial waste collector/hauler
A waste generator

These traders might be the same

An industrial waste intermediate treatment trader

RPF treatment facility

A waste generator
A trust contract of the waste
intermediate treatment

There are various methods by the scale of the construction sites as above.
Please apply to the local government before performing it actually.

Inquiries for producing RPF from polyurethane foam wastes
Ogawa Econos Inc. Tokyo Business Headquarters
2-11-3 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031, Japan
Phone: +81-3-3563-0530
Home page: http://www.o-econos.com/index.html

Japan Uretane Industries InstituteHome page： http://www.urethane-jp.org/

Japan Urethane Foam Association Japan Urethane Raw Material Association
2-17-1, Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105-0003, Japan
Phone: +81-3-6402-1252

2-23-2, Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105-0003, Japan
Phone: +81-3-6809-1081