MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ineos Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, has announced the availability of mechanically recycled polystyrene in EMEA, said the company.
Production of the new "Styrolution PS ECO 440" is based on TOMRA's high-quality NIRsorting 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 including food contact. It will enable customers to address their respective sustainability goals and contribute to the development of a circular economy. Styrolution® PS ECO is not only made from recycled material, it is also fully recyclable. This means the material offers true 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% 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 No 10/2011, is based on a layer of virgin polystyrene enclosing the recycled polystyrene.
Dr. Frank Eisentrager, Product Director PS EMEA, INEOS Styrolution says: "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." Jurgen Priesters, SVP, Circular Economy at TOMRA adds: "As the strategic partner in driving transformation, we are excited to contribute to a unique solution offering true circularity of polystyrene"
The new mechanically recycled polystyrene confirms once again that polystyrene is indeed made for recycling. The new solution complements Ineos Styrolution's ambitious efforts to commercialise recycled polystyrene based on advanced recycling technologies.
As Ineos Styrolution, a subsidiary of the major European petrochemical manufacturer Ineos, has resumed styrene production in Sarnia (Sarnia, Ontario, Canada), but has still not lifted the force majeure on its deliveries. The 445 thousand tonnes of styrene per year production facility was affected by a shortage of raw materials due to the shutdown of Nova Chemical's cracking unit in Corun (Corunna, Ontario, Canada). Force majeure was announced on 14, May.
According to MRC's ScanPlast, the estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics in Russia amounted to 187,320 tonnes in the first four months of this year, which is 20% more than last year's consumption for the same period. The estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics in April amounted to 49,370 tonnes, which is 35% higher than in the same month of 2020 (36,620 tonnes).
TOMRA was founded on an innovation in 1972 that began with the design, manufacturing and sale of reverse vending machines (RVMs) for automated collection of used beverage containers. Today TOMRA provides technology-led solutions that enable the circular economy with advanced collection and sorting systems that optimize resource recovery and minimize waste in the food, recycling and, mining industries and is committed to building a more sustainable future.
Ineos Styrolution is the leading global styrenics supplier, with a focus on styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties. With world-class production facilities and more than 90 years of experience, INEOS Styrolution helps its customers succeed by offering solutions, designed to give them a competitive edge in their markets. At the same time, these innovative and sustainable best-in-class solutions help make the circular economy for styrenics a reality. The company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, packaging and toys/sports/leisure. In 2020, sales were at 4 billion euros. Ineos Styrolution employs approximately 3,600 people and operates 20 production sites in ten countries.
MRC