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Founded in December 2018, Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS) focuses on delivering the significant contribution that styrenics can make to the Circular Economy. We have engaged the entire value chain to fulfill the full circularity capacity of styrenics for food contact via a range of complementary recycling technologies, while improving resource efficiency and contributing to climate neutrality.
Initially, our focus was on polystyrene's intrinsic capacity for full circularity, including excellent sortability and efficient food contact recyclability (via mechanical recycling, dissolution, and depolymerization).
From capability to the reality of food contact recycled polystyrene Beginning with that capability, we have worked to turn it into a reality. Recycled polystyrene's safety as a food contact material was confirmed by the excellent results of our challenge tests using two different super-cleaning technologies. Based on these, Fraunhofer IVV completed a scientific study concluding that mechanical recycling of post-consumer PS packaging materials back into direct food contact is safe, instrumental for obtaining EU authorization for the use of mechanically recycled polystyrene in food contact applications. This gives investors in food-grade mechanical recycling facilities a choice of technologies.
Multiple routes to safe food contact for circular polystyrene
A second Fraunhofer study confirmed the safety of post-consumer rPS behind a virgin PS functional barrier in food packaging. Both studies highlight the PET-like low diffusion properties of PS, which enable food-grade high purity mechanical recycling. This means a second safe solution for incorporating rPS in any rigid or foamed polystyrene food packaging. In line with the new EU regulation on recycled plastic food contact materials and articles (FCM), SCS has notified the European Commission regarding the use of PS recycled with novel technologies as FCM, meaning packaging with rPS content can be immediately placed on the market.
Our converter members have confirmed that rPS is a drop-in solution in their existing facilities, behaving exactly like virgin material in production and retaining all of the excellent qualities of PS, with the crucial added credential of full circularity.
Contribution to climate neutrality
A Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for polystyrene produced excellent results for the three food-grade recycling processes of high purity mechanical recycling, dissolution, and depolymerization compared to end-of-life incineration and production of virgin material. There were significant CO2 emission savings of 80% to 75% with all three technologies.
Brand owner engagement
Brand owners such as our member Yoplait are embracing circular PS for their dairy applications. Their belief in the unique benefits of PS drives them to accelerate and scale up market applications with rPS content.
Capacity scale-up
Completing all the above milestones has allowed SCS members and other market players to make investments in recycling capacities using all three technologies.
Conclusion
We now stand ready to optimize circular supply chains and accelerate scale-up to deliver on our mission of fulfilling the significant contribution that circular polystyrene can make to the circular economy. With all actions of SCS, together with the value chain, circular polystyrene has become a reality and is being scaled up.