INEOS Styrolution offers mechanically recycled PS developed in collaboration with TOMRA

INEOS Styrolution has announced the availability of mechanically recycled polystyrene in the EMEA region.

Production of the new Styrolution PS ECO 440 is based on TOMRA’s high-quality NIR sorting process delivering a polystyrene purity of more than 99.9%. The new material is available in white and light grey.

This new polystyrene solution is suitable across a wide range of applications  and will enable INEOS Styrolution customers to address sustainability goals and contribute to a circular economy for plastics.

The first available grade is Styrolution PS ECO 440 MR100 WHITE. The suffix ‘MR100’ indicates that the material contains 100% 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.

Dr Frank Eisenträger, Product Director PS EMEA, INEOS Styrolution, said: “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% recycled content in products destined for polystyrene packaging in Europe by 2025.”

Jürgen Priesters, SVP, Circular Economy at TOMRA, added: “As the strategic partner in driving transformation, we are excited to contribute to a unique solution offering true circularity of polystyrene”

The new solution complements INEOS Styrolution’s ambitious efforts to commercialise recycled polystyrene based on advanced recycling technologies.