Newsreader

Headimage abstract

New recycling plant for polystyrene waste

A mechanical recycling plant with a capacity of 40,000 tons per year of PS waste is to be built in Krefeld, Germany.

 

The international supplier of styrenic plastics Ineos Styrolution, recycling technology specialist Tomra and EGN Entsorgungsgesellschaft Niederrhein are reportedly involved in the project. The planned plant in Krefeld is expected to process 40,000 tons of PS waste annually into PS recyclate for food packaging from mid-2025. According to the cooperation partners, EGN will be responsible for sorting and washing the PS waste as part of the project, and Ineos Styrolution will be responsible for the "super-cleaning" process, which is intended to meet the requirements of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for food contact applications. Tomra is to provide sorting technology and raw materials. It is also planned that Tomra Feedstock will collect PS waste from used food packaging and deliver it to Krefeld, is said.
 
Jürgen Priesters, Managing Director of Tomra Feedstock explains, "We are proud to contribute to this first commercial plant for mechanical recycling of polystyrene for food contact applications. Polystyrene has the right composition to be mechanically recycled for food applications." Steve Harrington, CEO of INEOS Styrolution, adds, "This is an exciting step forward for our industry." Thanks to the collaboration with Tomra and EGN, Ineos could provide customers with food-grade polystyrene produced with a significantly lower carbon footprint. Already, Ineos was seeing strong interest from customers and brand owners to secure long-term contracts, he says.
 

Sources:

  • circular-technology.de (July 5, 2023)
  • plastverarbeiter.de (July 10, 2023)
  • Image: © Ineos Styrolution, EGN, Tomra

Go back