Ineos Styrolution Progresses PS Recycling Plans
Ineos Styrolution has confirmed plans to invest in a pilot plant in the UK for the chemical recycling of polystyrene (PS). The site in Swindon is being developed in collaboration with Recycling Technologies, a UK-based company with proprietary, patented depolymerization technology, and US plastics and rubber producer Trinseo.
The facility is expected to go into operation in the second half of 2022. Ineos Styrolution said Recycling Technologies’ fluidized bed reactor technology offers excellent scalability, making it the process of choice for future, even larger recycling plants.
Alexander Glück, president Europe, Middle East, Africa at Ineos Styrolution, commented: “I am excited to see this project move ahead. With Recycling Technologies, we have found a partner, who is not only offering a very attractive technology, but who is also sharing our own vision to avoid polystyrene ending up in landfills or being incinerated. We are on the right path to make polystyrene a circular material.”
In April, Ineos Styrolution, Recycling Technologies and Trinseo announced they had reached a significant milestone in their plans to build commercial PS recycling plants in Europe. The pilot plant in Swindon will allow the three firms to develop the technology further, providing information and data to support further progression to establishing commercial-scale plants.
Ineos Styrolution has plans to build a commercial-scale facility in Wingles, France, while Trinseo will build its own plant in Tessenderlo, Belgium. Each plant would aim to convert 15,000 t/y of PS waste into recycled styrene.
Running parallel with its plans to develop chemical recycling technology, Ineos Styrolution has also been working on the mechanical recycling of PS. In June, the company announced the commercial availability of a PS product that contains 100% post-consumer recycled content that is also fully recyclable.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
