The Innotech research and development center for packaging operated by plastics producer Grupo Lantero has announced what it calls the successful completion of food-contact trials with polystyrene (PS) yogurt cup materials made by Ineos Styrolution and Coexpan. - RecyclingToday

The trials addressed formats used in both European and American markets using Styrolution PS ECO 440FC MR100 material, which Ineos describes as a 100 percent postconsumer recycled PS grade produced from household food packaging scrap. “All dairy formats have been produced and tested to food contacts standards,” Ineos says, calling PS “the material of choice for the dairy form-fill-seal (FFS) market.”

While Ineos Styrolution helped develop and invest in the mechanical recycling system to produce the new material, Grupo Lantero division Coexpan, which specializes in the manufacturing of rigid plastic sheets and thermoformed products, will make packaging products from Styrolution MR100. 

The trials at Innotech show that mechanically recycled PS is produced and successfully tested to food-grade standards across all shapes and sizes of dairy applications.

the companies say

It is a massive achievement to be able to confirm the success of this exercise, and the results speak for themselves. Many brand owners want the polystyrene journey to continue, and we now have the proof that mechanically recycled polystyrene offers a solution for their food contact applications. This will allow customers to concentrate on their core business rather than looking for alternative materials requiring changes to existing processes and investments into new equipment.

Gonzalo Sanchez, head of recycling at Spain-based Coexpan

We have expected for quite some time that polystyrene is an ideal material for the circular economy. Now we have the proof that it is indeed one of the best, if not the best recyclable polymer. In fact, polystyrene is all set now to enjoy the highest recycling rates of all polymers. I expect the quality of the mechanically recycled polystyrene to be so convincing that we will see applications that moved on to other materials switch back to polystyrene as new recycling capacities come online.

Dr. Frank Eisenträger, product director at Germany-based Ineos Sytrolution