GreenMantra Technologies and leading inks producer Sun Chemical have agreed to jointly develop polymers from recycled polystyrene (PS) waste for use in ink formulations.

As part of the project, GreenMantra will build a 1,000 t/y pilot plant at its complex in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, which will use its proprietary thermo-catalytic process for converting waste PS. Domenic Di Mondo, GreenMantra’s senior director of research and business development, said: “Our team of scientists has had great success in the lab applying our technology and process to achieve depolarization of waste polystyrene, both rigid and foam, into styrenic polymers suitable for inks and other applications.”

Russell Schwartz, Sun Chemicals’ chief technology officer, added: “We believe these new polymers may provide enhanced physical properties in select ink applications, while diverting polystyrene from the waste stream.”

The plant will supply converted material to trial in inks and other end-use applications and for initial commercial sales. Government agency Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is providing funds of $2.2 million toward the plant’s construction.

PS is one of the world’s fastest growing solid wastes, said GreenMantra, yet it has one of the lowest recycling rates of all plastics with an estimated 95% either disposed of in landfills or incinerated.