Ineos Styrolution, a leader in styrenics, has made mechanically recycled polystyrene commercially available in EMEA. Production of the new “Styrolution PS ECO 440” is based on Tomra’s near infrared (NIR) sorting process delivering a polystyrene purity of more than 99.9%, and the new material is available in white and light grey, said the company. 

This new polystyrene solution is said to be suitable across a wide range of applications including food contact. It will enable customers to address their respective sustainability goals and contribute to the development of a circular economy. According to the statement, Styrolution PS ECO is not only made from recycled material, it is also fully recyclable, which means the material offers circularity with no need to downcycle. The first available grade is Styrolution PS ECO 440 MR100 White. The suffix “MR100” indicates that the material contains 100 percent post-consumer recycled content.

INEOS Styrolution follows the concept of using Styrolution PS ECO material behind a functional barrier making the material suitable for food contact applications such as XPS foam food packaging trays. The concept, which conforms with requirements under FC Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, is based on a layer of virgin polystyrene enclosing the recycled polystyrene. The new solution complements the company’s ambitious efforts to commercialise recycled polystyrene based on advanced recycling technologies.

“We will start production in EMEA with up to 1,000 tonnes in 2021, working very hard to grow volumes in line with our pledge to use on average 30 percent recycled content in products destined for polystyrene packaging in Europe by 2025,” said Dr. Frank Eisenträger, Product Director PS EMEA, Ineos Styrolution.