Muluken Alemayehu
Monash University
Gitanjali Bedi
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Given RMAX has a large range of purpose designed building products, their sense of mission is continually expanding for new “innovation working for you” (RMAX, n.d.). This involves their application in discovering opportunities through the use of EPS in a variety of applications including “drink refrigerators, ducting, housing and surfboards!” (RMAX, n.d.).
As an ‘enhanced’ innovation within RMAX, EPS is a plastic material derived from crude oil used in a variety of applications including economic, durable, protective and thermal insulation in buildings and civil engineering applications (Kore, 2014). Key proponent within RMAX Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is that it is made up of 96%-99% air and only 4%-1% of solid material (RMAX, n.d.). Thus, as explained by interviewee Eric, this makes RMAX EPS one of the “lightest materials available for both packaging and building/construction applications”. This shows that the impact EPS has on our environment is negligible compared to other pollutants, making it one of the most effective insulators available for families and businesses.
As EPS is 100% recyclable, one of RMAX’s goals as explained by interviewee Eric is to close the recycling loop of EPS which is generally segregated, collected and re-processed (Expanded Polystyrene Australia, 2014). As part of RMAX’s ecologically sound disposal of EPS, it has invested in reprocessing equipment which produces hundreds of tonnes of recovered waste EPS each year (RMAX, n.d.). For example, RMAX produces large “geo-technical or EPS” blocks which are going to a lot of infrastructure work in road and railway construction. Thus, the goal of RMAX as explained by interviewee Eric is from the “manufacturing process to treat the product less harsh by being more efficient in maintaining its integrity of its cellular structure”.
The major inspiration behind the introduction and enhancement of EPS within RMAX is because of its technical versatility, performance and cost effectiveness (RMAX, n.d.) However, given EPS is widely used by many competing businesses around the world, interviewee Eric highlighted that “the evolution of where EPS is going involves finding uses for the material in a wide range of densities, providing a varying range of physical properties”.
The motivation for introducing EPS within RMAX revolves around its significant properties of being lightweight, durable, moisture resistant, thermal efficient (both in heating and cooling conditions) and versatile (RMAX, n.d.). For example, the exceptional durability of EPS makes it an effective and reliable protective package for fresh food produce. For example, interviewee Eric shared an example from one of RMAX’s businesses which makes air-freight (EPS) fish boxes. The impact of these boxes allowed a $500 salmon to go from the depths of South Tasmania to the Asian market within 2-3 days in an insulated box which was odourless and non-toxic. This helps reduce spoilage and minimise waste, which in turn reduces methane gas (RMAX, n.d.).
The overall impact of RMAX’s EPS life cycle impact is best explained through comparison against pulp and fibreboard. Based on facts, it shows that pulp and fibreboard require twice the amount of energy to produce causing it produce more waste by volume than EPS (RMAX, n.d.).
Eric described sustainability as being “Self-sustainable, and finding new and different ways to use things that are already consumed i.e. energy, time, money.”
Eric further mentioned that “the world is already in enough trouble now; he’d like to think that whatever anyone can do today will only help for tomorrow”.
The use of lightweight EPS packaging helps RMAX reduce its fuel consumption and a significant reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions, unlike heavier packaging materials such as wood (RMAX, n.d.).
The construction industry has a significant environmental footprint in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption (Mesaros, Spisakova, Kyjakova, & Mandicak, 2015). However, EPS used to insulate buildings helps cut CO2 emissions by up to 50% (RMAX, n.d.).
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Eric Psarianos, Regional Manager
