Canadian Plastics

Ineos Styrolution and Recycling Technologies sign joint development agreement for recycling polystyrene

Canadian Plastics   

Materials Recycling

The partnership will see Recycling Technologies adapt its pyrolysis-based depolymerization process to the commercial recycling of PS.

Global styrenics supplier Ineos Styrolution is partnering with Recycling Technologies, a Swindon, UK-based specialist in plastic recycling technology, to advance the development of polystyrene (PS) recycling in Europe.

The two companies have signed a joint development agreement to combine technologies to prevent post-consumer PS from being incinerated or ending up in landfills.

In a statement, Germany-based Ineos says that Recycling Technologies has already completed a detailed research and trial process with Ineos. “This activity includes scientific research and processing of PS on Recycling Technologies’ Mark II test reactor producing excellent results,” Ineos said. “[We] will now further advance this depolymerisation solution based on Recycling Technologies’ fluidised bed technology, currently used for mixed plastics to adapt it for the commercial recycling of PS.”

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“This partnership creates the basis for a more circular economy in PS, allowing users to achieve challenging recycling targets set by all their stakeholders,” said Adrian Griffiths, CEO and founder of Recycling Technologies. “To date, we have focused on the recycling technology solutions to address a new and important market — recycling PS.”

Ineos Styrolution and Recycling Technologies believe depolymerization has the potential to close the loop, creating a circular economy for polystyrene and making the material a more valuable polymer. Recycled PS has the potential to meet the demanding specifications of food-packaging regulations, making it attractive to the food industry, the companies said.

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