Styrenics supplier Ineos Styrolution Group GmbH, Frankfurt, and Recycling Technologies, a plastics recycling technology provider based in the U.K., have signed a joint development agreement to advance polystyrene (PS) recycling in Europe, they say. Source: Recycling today

Recycling Technologies has completed a detailed research and trial process with Ineos Styrolution, according to a joint news release, that included research and PS processing using Recycling Technologies’ Mark II test reactor. Both companies say they will advance this depolymerization solution based on Recycling Technologies’ fluidized bed technology, currently used for mixed plastics, adapting it for commercial recycling of PS.

This recycled PS has the potential to meet the high specifications demanded by food packaging regulations, making it attractive to the food industry, the companies say, creating a circular economy for the polymer and making the material more valuable.

Recycling Technologies’ fluidized bed technology is a very promising technology to drive our joint agenda forward. I am looking forward to a fruitful collaboration in the interest of the environment, our customers and the consumers.

Sven Riechers, Vice President of Business Management, standard products, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Ineos Styrolution

This partnership creates the basis for a more circular economy in polystyrene allowing its users to achieve their challenging recycling targets set by all their stakeholders. To date, we have focused on the recycling of mixed plastic waste; this initiative will allow us to develop and expand our feedstock recycling technology solutions to address a new and important market, recycling polystyrene.

Adrian Griffiths, CEO and Founder, Recycling Technologies

Recycling Technologies has developed the RT7000, which turns what the company says is hard-to-recycle plastic, such as films, bags and laminated plastics, into an oil called Plaxx that can be used as a feedstock for new plastic production.

Ineos Styrolution also has partnered with Tigard, Oregon-based Agilyx to recycle PS. The companies first partnered in 2018 after signing a memorandum of understanding that allowed Ineos to deploy Agilyx’s depolymerization technology in Ineos Styrolution facilities in North America. The goal of the partnership has been to convert postconsumer PS into styrene monomer that can be used to remanufacture new PS products.

Ineos, the U.K.-based parent company of Ineos Stryrolution, has partnered with London-based Plastic Energy to construct a plant to convert plastic scrap to make the building blocks for new plastics.