Polystyrene - the most misunderstood plastic

Polystyrene is likely the most misunderstood plastic. The myth that this material cannot be recovered and therefore needs to be banned entirely is not only misguided but also potentially dangerous. In fact, polystyrene has many inherent sustainable properties, which plays a significant role in the design of products for recycling or sustainability.  

Sven Riechers, Vice President Sales Management EMEA, at INEOS Styrolution, a global producer of styrenics, is used to fighting these misconceptions. He says: “Our society must be prepared to make tough decisions for a better future. But I want these decisions to be made on true facts, not on myths. In the case of polystyrene, the material is sometimes unfairly labelled as an ugly duckling. I see it as a beautiful swan, perfectly suited for a future centred around circularity. Its properties are amazing, and our scientists continue to unveil new positive facts about the material, even 90 years after its invention and initial production”.

POLYSTYRENE IS AN ENERGY-SAVING MATERIAL

As opposed to other polymers, polystyrene’s material strength and barrier properties often allow it to be used as a single layer in applications such as food packaging. This single layer design means the elimination of multiple material layers that cannot be adequately separated during the recycling process. It also often means less material overall is used to create each package in the first place. Plus, its lightweight properties make it lighter to transport, reducing the amount of emissions released. Hypothetically eliminating polystyrene could result in less material recycled and higher carbon emissions.

POLYSTYRENE IS PERFECT FOR RECYCLING

Another misconception about polystyrene is its recyclability – polystyrene is recyclable! In fact, polystyrene material can be sorted and recycled more easily than almost all other polymers. Today’s sorting technology relies on near infrared scanning and the signal response of polystyrene is very strong and differentiated allowing  for easy and extremely precise sorting that ensures high-quality, valuable recycled material.

Polystyrene is nearly exclusively used in dairy food packaging, with white being the predominant colour for refrigerated applications. As the material is back in the recycling centre just 8 weeks after production (due to the shorter shelf life of these applications), the material does not age or deteriorate during use, making it the ideal choice for recycling. Moreover, the predominantly white waste generated from these packaging materials allows for efficient recycling processes, enabling the production of recycled polystyrene with consistent white colouration.

In the waste stream, polystyrene shows a very low contamination uptake, which chemists call low diffusivity. This rare feature, only found in PET and polystyrene, guarantees its recyclability, finally allowing for the true circle from dairy packaging to dairy packaging.

Polystyrene is nearly infinitely mechanically recyclable. It can undergo numerous mechanical recycling cycles while retaining its property profile. Its quality also remains consistent over time, and even effects such as yellowing that is commonly seen in recycled materials does not happen with polystyrene. Today, INEOS Styrolution’s mechanically recycled polystyrene containing 100% post-consumer recycled content is available in the market with a food contact statement.

Once sorted, polystyrene can be recycled using different types of recycling technologies ranging from mechanical recycling and dissolution to depolymerisation and pyrolysis. These technologies are fully complementary, allowing a broad range of waste streams to be addressed and also allowing to recycle styrene back into different polymers and applications.

Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), a joint industry initiative, successfully demonstrated high-purity recyclability of polystyrene through mechanical recycling, proving the viability of achieving purity levels that exceed 99.9%. With the inclusion of an additional ‘super-cleaning’ process step, mechanical recycling of polystyrene will have the potential to enable food-grade approval. Following its excellent challenge test results, SCS is currently seeking EU authorisation from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for mechanically recycled polystyrene as food contact material. The super cleaning technology was recently approved by the FDA for use in dairy packaging.

Depolymerisation also enables polystyrene to be fully circular. One of its unique features is to break down nicely into styrene monomer instead of an oil of different break-down products. Many industry leaders, including INEOS Styrolution, are working alongside leading recycling technology providers to create a circular economy for polystyrene that have the product performance and properties on par with conventional polystyrene. One such partner is Indaver, a leading European waste management company, with whom INEOS Styrolution recently signed an offtake agreement. This will allow access to styrene monomer produced from post-consumer waste at Indaver’s planned depolymerisation plant. The plant, which will be based in Antwerp, Belgium will be operational in 2024 and will be the first of its kind in Europe. In depolymerisation, non-food-contact polystyrene can also be recycled back into food contact materials, such as for food packaging, making it an excellent example for true upcycling.

INEOS Styrolution, in partnership with Tomra, the world leader in waste transformation, and EGN Entsorgungsgesellschaft Niederrhein), a leading recycler, has embarked on a ground-breaking project to transform post-consumer polystyrene waste into recycled polystyrene for food packaging applications. EGN  will build  a state-of-the-art advanced mechanical recycling facility in Krefeld, Germany. With an impressive processing capacity of 40kt of post-consumer polystyrene waste per year, this facility is expected to be the first of its kind on such a large scale. Tomra will collect post-consumer polystyrene waste from discarded food packaging from sorting plants all over Europe and deliver it to EGN’s facility in Krefeld. EGN will handle the crucial sorting based on Tomra’s cutting edge sorting technology and the washing processes, while INEOS Styrolution will be responsible for the "super-cleaning" purification process, ensuring compliance with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requirements for food contact applications. The new facility, scheduled to commence operations in mid-2025, signifies a significant milestone as it will enable us to serve customers at a commercial scale.

POLYSTYRENE IS THE MATERIAL OF CHOICE IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

Polystyrene’s excellent properties, the fact that it is easier and faster to process, and its unique rigid yet flexible characteristics contribute to the fact that it is the ideal choice for multi-pack yoghurt pots. It is no surprise that leading dairy manufacturers in Europe are collaborating with us to develop circular solutions for polystyrene. Since then, they have explored our mechanical recycling and bio-attributed solutions and are also closely following our efforts to develop a circular economy based on advanced recycling. 

POLYSTYRENE - POWERED BY NATURE

Also available in the market today are INEOS Styrolution’s bio-attributed polystyrene products made from styrene sourced from renewable feedstock, certified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC). Using this new feedstock as a replacement for fossil-based feedstock results in a substantial greenhouse gas saving compared to conventional polystyrene. The carbon footprint of this bio-attributed polystyrene is at least carbon neutral or even better (offering a negative carbon footprint).

POLYSTYRENE IS A HYGIENIC, NON-TOXIC MATERIAL

There are a few unfounded claims that occasionally emerge, attempting to label polystyrene as toxic. In fact, polystyrene is a stable polymer, which is chemically different from its raw material, styrene monomer, and is not toxic. It may surprise you to know that styrene occurs naturally and is found in many common foods such as strawberries, cinnamon, and beer! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) regulate the safety of food-contact packaging, and for more than 50 years, they have approved the use of polystyrene for food-service products. Polystyrene products provide hygienic means to serve, transport, and store fresh foods to help prevent the spread of disease at schools, restaurants, hospitals and in people’s homes.  Also latest scientific data underpins the fact that polystyrene is safe for food contact applications. Polystyrene is a high-quality approved packaging material, with a low carbon footprint and it requires less energy and water to produce than alternative materials, such as glass, aluminium, paper, and compostable plastic alternatives.

BANNING POLYSTYRENE IS NOT THE SOLUTION

Lastly, an increasingly common misconception is that there is a simple solution to the plastic waste issue. Some simply believe that eliminating so-called problematic materials sounds like a quick and easy win; however, these knee-jerk and misguided policies just further complicate the problem. In most cases, this simply shifts the issue to a new material, which has its own challenges.

Polystyrene is perfectly suited for dairy food packaging and recent work has shown that it is better recyclable than a lot of the discussed alternatives, actually allowing for perfect circularity from yoghurt pot to yoghurt pot.. The best way forward is to develop end-of-life, circular solutions and innovate our way to a circular economy instead of restricting access to valuable materials. This topic requires public and private organisations to collaborate by pooling knowledge and resources in order to implement recycling innovations on a larger, international scale.

So much change and progress has been made to the design and technology of polystyrene and its recyclability over the last decade. We believe it is time to change the conversation to catch up with today’s technology. Once we overcome the current challenge of getting over the stigma and vilification of polystyrene, our society will start benefiting from the many innovative recycling solutions. It may seem like we have a long way to go to completely close the loop, but we must start taking steps in the right direction to make a real difference. Plastic waste, particularly polystyrene waste, is a valuable material. It is in the interest of all participants in the value chain from producers, consumers, and recyclers that this is recovered, recycled and repurposed again and again.

Sven Riechers concludes: “The adaptability of polystyrene has allowed us to develop solutions that are truly unique, and it has been at the forefront of our efforts in shifting to a low-carbon, circular economy. INEOS Styrolution has commercialised recycled polystyrene for food-contact applications, and is now expanding its capacities and volumes, so that its customers and end-consumers can be a part of the plastics circular economy”.

Polystyrene is likely the most misunderstood plastic. The myth that this material cannot be recovered and therefore needs to be banned entirely is not only misguided but also potentially dangerous. In fact, polystyrene has many inherent sustainable properties, which plays a significant role in the design of products for recycling or sustainability.  

Sven Riechers, Vice President Sales Management EMEA, at INEOS Styrolution, a global producer of styrenics, is used to fighting these misconceptions. He says: “Our society must be prepared to make tough decisions for a better future. But I want these decisions to be made on true facts, not on myths. In the case of polystyrene, the material is sometimes unfairly labelled as an ugly duckling. I see it as a beautiful swan, perfectly suited for a future centred around circularity. Its properties are amazing, and our scientists continue to unveil new positive facts about the material, even 90 years after its invention and initial production”.

POLYSTYRENE IS AN ENERGY-SAVING MATERIAL

As opposed to other polymers, polystyrene’s material strength and barrier properties often allow it to be used as a single layer in applications such as food packaging. This single layer design means the elimination of multiple material layers that cannot be adequately separated during the recycling process. It also often means less material overall is used to create each package in the first place. Plus, its lightweight properties make it lighter to transport, reducing the amount of emissions released. Hypothetically eliminating polystyrene could result in less material recycled and higher carbon emissions.

POLYSTYRENE IS PERFECT FOR RECYCLING

Another misconception about polystyrene is its recyclability – polystyrene is recyclable! In fact, polystyrene material can be sorted and recycled more easily than almost all other polymers. Today’s sorting technology relies on near infrared scanning and the signal response of polystyrene is very strong and differentiated allowing  for easy and extremely precise sorting that ensures high-quality, valuable recycled material.

Polystyrene is nearly exclusively used in dairy food packaging, with white being the predominant colour for refrigerated applications. As the material is back in the recycling centre just 8 weeks after production (due to the shorter shelf life of these applications), the material does not age or deteriorate during use, making it the ideal choice for recycling. Moreover, the predominantly white waste generated from these packaging materials allows for efficient recycling processes, enabling the production of recycled polystyrene with consistent white colouration.

In the waste stream, polystyrene shows a very low contamination uptake, which chemists call low diffusivity. This rare feature, only found in PET and polystyrene, guarantees its recyclability, finally allowing for the true circle from dairy packaging to dairy packaging.

Polystyrene is nearly infinitely mechanically recyclable. It can undergo numerous mechanical recycling cycles while retaining its property profile. Its quality also remains consistent over time, and even effects such as yellowing that is commonly seen in recycled materials does not happen with polystyrene. Today, INEOS Styrolution’s mechanically recycled polystyrene containing 100% post-consumer recycled content is available in the market with a food contact statement.

Once sorted, polystyrene can be recycled using different types of recycling technologies ranging from mechanical recycling and dissolution to depolymerisation and pyrolysis. These technologies are fully complementary, allowing a broad range of waste streams to be addressed and also allowing to recycle styrene back into different polymers and applications.

Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), a joint industry initiative, successfully demonstrated high-purity recyclability of polystyrene through mechanical recycling, proving the viability of achieving purity levels that exceed 99.9%. With the inclusion of an additional ‘super-cleaning’ process step, mechanical recycling of polystyrene will have the potential to enable food-grade approval. Following its excellent challenge test results, SCS is currently seeking EU authorisation from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for mechanically recycled polystyrene as food contact material. The super cleaning technology was recently approved by the FDA for use in dairy packaging.

Depolymerisation also enables polystyrene to be fully circular. One of its unique features is to break down nicely into styrene monomer instead of an oil of different break-down products. Many industry leaders, including INEOS Styrolution, are working alongside leading recycling technology providers to create a circular economy for polystyrene that have the product performance and properties on par with conventional polystyrene. One such partner is Indaver, a leading European waste management company, with whom INEOS Styrolution recently signed an offtake agreement. This will allow access to styrene monomer produced from post-consumer waste at Indaver’s planned depolymerisation plant. The plant, which will be based in Antwerp, Belgium will be operational in 2024 and will be the first of its kind in Europe. In depolymerisation, non-food-contact polystyrene can also be recycled back into food contact materials, such as for food packaging, making it an excellent example for true upcycling.

INEOS Styrolution, in partnership with Tomra, the world leader in waste transformation, and EGN Entsorgungsgesellschaft Niederrhein), a leading recycler, has embarked on a ground-breaking project to transform post-consumer polystyrene waste into recycled polystyrene for food packaging applications. EGN  will build  a state-of-the-art advanced mechanical recycling facility in Krefeld, Germany. With an impressive processing capacity of 40kt of post-consumer polystyrene waste per year, this facility is expected to be the first of its kind on such a large scale. Tomra will collect post-consumer polystyrene waste from discarded food packaging from sorting plants all over Europe and deliver it to EGN’s facility in Krefeld. EGN will handle the crucial sorting based on Tomra’s cutting edge sorting technology and the washing processes, while INEOS Styrolution will be responsible for the "super-cleaning" purification process, ensuring compliance with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requirements for food contact applications. The new facility, scheduled to commence operations in mid-2025, signifies a significant milestone as it will enable us to serve customers at a commercial scale.

POLYSTYRENE IS THE MATERIAL OF CHOICE IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

Polystyrene’s excellent properties, the fact that it is easier and faster to process, and its unique rigid yet flexible characteristics contribute to the fact that it is the ideal choice for multi-pack yoghurt pots. It is no surprise that leading dairy manufacturers in Europe are collaborating with us to develop circular solutions for polystyrene. Since then, they have explored our mechanical recycling and bio-attributed solutions and are also closely following our efforts to develop a circular economy based on advanced recycling. 

POLYSTYRENE. POWERED BY NATURE.

Also available in the market today are INEOS Styrolution’s bio-attributed polystyrene products made from styrene sourced from renewable feedstock, certified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC). Using this new feedstock as a replacement for fossil-based feedstock results in a substantial greenhouse gas saving compared to conventional polystyrene. The carbon footprint of this bio-attributed polystyrene is at least carbon neutral or even better (offering a negative carbon footprint).

POLYSTYRENE IS A HYGIENIC, NON-TOXIC MATERIAL

There are a few unfounded claims that occasionally emerge, attempting to label polystyrene as toxic. In fact, polystyrene is a stable polymer, which is chemically different from its raw material, styrene monomer, and is not toxic. It may surprise you to know that styrene occurs naturally and is found in many common foods such as strawberries, cinnamon, and beer! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) regulate the safety of food-contact packaging, and for more than 50 years, they have approved the use of polystyrene for food-service products. Polystyrene products provide hygienic means to serve, transport, and store fresh foods to help prevent the spread of disease at schools, restaurants, hospitals and in people’s homes.  Also latest scientific data underpins the fact that polystyrene is safe for food contact applications. Polystyrene is a high-quality approved packaging material, with a low carbon footprint and it requires less energy and water to produce than alternative materials, such as glass, aluminium, paper, and compostable plastic alternatives.

BANNING POLYSTYRENE IS NOT THE SOLUTION

Lastly, an increasingly common misconception is that there is a simple solution to the plastic waste issue. Some simply believe that eliminating so-called problematic materials sounds like a quick and easy win; however, these knee-jerk and misguided policies just further complicate the problem. In most cases, this simply shifts the issue to a new material, which has its own challenges.

Polystyrene is perfectly suited for dairy food packaging and recent work has shown that it is better recyclable than a lot of the discussed alternatives, actually allowing for perfect circularity from yoghurt pot to yoghurt pot.. The best way forward is to develop end-of-life, circular solutions and innovate our way to a circular economy instead of restricting access to valuable materials. This topic requires public and private organisations to collaborate by pooling knowledge and resources in order to implement recycling innovations on a larger, international scale.

So much change and progress has been made to the design and technology of polystyrene and its recyclability over the last decade. We believe it is time to change the conversation to catch up with today’s technology. Once we overcome the current challenge of getting over the stigma and vilification of polystyrene, our society will start benefiting from the many innovative recycling solutions. It may seem like we have a long way to go to completely close the loop, but we must start taking steps in the right direction to make a real difference. Plastic waste, particularly polystyrene waste, is a valuable material. It is in the interest of all participants in the value chain from producers, consumers, and recyclers that this is recovered, recycled and repurposed again and again.

Sven Riechers concludes: “The adaptability of polystyrene has allowed us to develop solutions that are truly unique, and it has been at the forefront of our efforts in shifting to a low-carbon, circular economy. INEOS Styrolution has commercialised recycled polystyrene for food-contact applications, and is now expanding its capacities and volumes, so that its customers and end-consumers can be a part of the plastics circular economy”.