INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, announced the successful completion of a first project with mechanically recycled polystyrene in a yoghurt cup. This milestone achievement was possible by the collaboration of multiple partners along the value chain.

The process of mechanical recycling of polystyrene is taking place in multiple steps from sorting (deep NIR sorting including object recognition) across hot washing and flake sorting to melt filtration and pelletising.

Key in the process is INEOS Styrolution’s “super clean process” which has been registered as a novel technology according to the EU regulation 2022/1616. With this process, INEOS Styrolution achieves food contact quality recyclates which before were only known from PET bottle recyclates. 

The recycled material offers the same physical properties as conventionally produced polystyrene, enabling a perfect circular solution. Intensive quality controls were performed on both the material and the cups. Additionally, detailed analyses are required for the EFSA evaluation of this novel technology. Moreover, the environmental footprint of the recycled material is significantly lower than that of conventionally produced material.

The new technology was presented at the “Dresdner Verpackungstage” by Lena Lembach, Senior Packaging Development, Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller, and Dr. Frank Eisenträger, ECO & Market Development Manager, INEOS Styrolution.

Dr. Frank Eisenträger says: “Polystyrene arrived in the champions league of recycled food contact materials. It will enable producers to meet the new requirements of the new EU directive PPWR for packaging and packaging waste.”

Lena Lembach, states: “This is a milestone achievement on our common way to perfect circularity for polystyrene cups and towards fulfilment of the PPWR requirements as well as our own CO2 footprint reduction targets.”