Ineos Styrolution markets mechanically recycled PS

Global petrochemical firm Ineos' polystyrene (PS) subsidiary, Ineos Styrolution, has announced plans to begin commercialising mechanically recycled PS in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

The new product range, which will be marketed as "Styrolution PS ECO 440", will be based on Norwegian technology firm Tomra's near-infrared sorting process and will deliver a PS purity greater than 99.9pc. The final recycled polymer will have a post-consumer recycled content of 100pc and is also fully recyclable.

"We will start production in EMEA with up to 1,000t in 2021, working very hard to grow volumes in line with our pledges to use on average 30pc recycled content in products destined for polystyrene packaging in Europe by 2025," said Ineos Styrolutions' product director for PS EMEA Frank Eisentraeger.

This new solution allows the use of recycled PS in a wide range of applications including food contact, while also addressing customers' sustainability and product circularity goals. Additionally, the project complements Ineos Styrolutions' efforts to operate and commercialise recycled PS in Europe, with the company announcing back in April plans to partner with global PS producer Trinseo and UK-based technology provider Recycling Technology on the development of PS recycling units.

By Michael Vitiello