Canadian Plastics

Canada’s Polystyvert partners with Ineos in polystyrene recycling venture

Canadian Plastics   

Canadian Plastics Materials Recycling editor pick

The joint development agreement will enable the two companies to work together in closing the loop of recycling PS in a low-energy, cost-competitive production method.

Quebec-based specialty recycling company Polystyvert has partnered with styrenics supplier Ineos Styrolution to convert post-consumer polystyrene (PS) into a new, high-quality, PS raw material resin.

Polystyvert uses a patented dissolution technology to process PS waste – the method takes plastic waste in its solid form and dissolves it in a solvent. Once dissolved, the process can mechanically and chemically separate contaminants and additives – including a wide range of hard-to-remove contaminants such as pigments and brominated flame-retardants – before finally separating the original polymer from the solvent. The end-product is then a cleaned polymer that can be used as new raw material resin again, to manufacture various categories of PS products, including food-grade applications.

The joint development agreement will enable the companies to work together in closing the loop of recycling PS in a low-energy, cost-competitive production method.

Advertisement

“The purification capacity of Polystyvert’s technology is unique,” said Ricardo Cuetos, vice president, Ineos Styrolution Americas, standard products. “The high quality of the final recycled PS resin is essential to achieving a truly circular economy in key markets like food service packaging.”

“We are pleased to work with Ineos to set up a truly circular economy for PS,” Polystyvert CEO Solenne Brouard said, “Dissolution is an efficient, low-energy technology which offers a cost-effective solution to recycle PS in a closed loop. Our common goal is to recycle as much PS as possible and a partnership as such, will make a difference.”

Polystyvert was founded in 2011 on an IP-based clean technology, with the aim of developing a low-carbon method of recycling PS through dissolution. The company is headquartered in Montreal.

 

Advertisement

Stories continue below