Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS) and Agilyx announced a collaboration between INEOS Styrolution, Trinseo and Agilyx to advance the first-of-a-kind polystyrene (PS) chemical recycling facility in Europe.
SCS members INEOS Styrolution and Trinseo, leaders in the manufacturing of PS and other styrenic materials combined resources to advance the development of a commercial scale chemical recycling plant. The new plant will be capable of processing up to 50 tons per day of post-consumer PS feedstock.
This project advancement follows the promising results of an evaluation study in which SCS, the joint industry initiative to increase the circularity of styrenic polymers, engaged Agilyx, a leading developer of chemical recycling technologies for plastics, to perform tests with samples of post-consumer PS food packaging waste. Agilyx evaluated the composition of the waste feedstock and successfully recycled it back into its original liquid monomer, using its proprietary depolymerisation technology. This project demonstrated polystyrene’s unique intrinsic capability to be fully recycled.
“This is an exciting time in the advancement of plastics recycling, when we really can make a difference with the development of a plant that will not only lead the way to significantly increase European PS recycling rates, but also truly close the loop with food grade recycled content,” said Rob Slangen, plastic and feedstocks technology leader at Trinseo and member of the SCS Technology Working Group. He added: “As such, we are well-positioned to become a key contributor to the European Commission’s recycling goals.”
PS is a polymer with unique circularity potential, as it is most easily reversed into its original monomer at high yield with the emerging game-changing recycling technologies. The liquid state of its monomer enables easy purification.
The recycled monomer is identical to the virgin monomer. It can thus be processed into styrenics polymers with identical, virgin quality enabling all applications, including food contact. Also, from there it can be continuously recycled, over and over again.
Published in the August 2019 Edition