INEOS Styrolution, Agilyx advance PS chemical recycling US plant

LONDON (ICIS)–Germany’s INEOS Styrolution and US-based Agilyx are advancing the development of a polystyrene (PS) chemical recycling facility in Channahon, Illinois, capable of processing up to 100 tonnes/day of post-consumer PS, the companies said on Monday.

The facility will chemically treat post-consumer plastic waste contaminated with food and other organics and convert it back into new, food-grade plastic products or packaging.

The companies said the facility would help reduce the amount of PS going into landfill and increase recycling rates in the greater Chicago area.

“Agilyx’s chemical recycling technology is a game changer to advance the circular recycling pathway of plastics,” said Ricardo Cuetos, vice president for INEOS Styrolution Americas, Standard Products.

“A benefit of chemical recycling is there is no degradation over multiple cycles; the polymers can continue to create new products over and over again of the same purity and performance of virgin PS.”

Joe Vaillancourt, Agilyx’s CEO, said that PS is the best option for prepared food and beverage containers as it provides “cost-effective, high-quality” packaging for food applications.

PS if often thought to be more difficult to recycle, compared with other polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene (PE).

However, virgin producers are increasingly looking at ways to increase the amount of recycled PS in the market.

In October, several producers showed off their advancements in both chemical and mechanical recycling during the plastics and rubber trade fair K in Germany.

INEOS, for example, displayed at K technologies to mechanically recycled acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene (ABS).

Thumbnail image: PS cups 
Source: Mark Lennihan/AP/Shutterstock