The new facility is expected to process 100 tons of post-consumer PS per day and convert it into a styrene material that will be used in the manufacturing of new polystyrene products
Image: INEOS Styrolution partners with Agilyx to build PS chemical recycling facility in US. Photo: courtesy of INEOS Styrolution Group GmbH.
Germany-based styrenics supplier INEOS Styrolution has partnered with US-based post-consumer plastics recycling company Agilyx for the construction of a polystyrene (PS) chemical recycling facility in Channahon, Illinois.
The new facility is expected to process 100 tons of post-consumer PS per day and convert it into a styrene material that will be used in the manufacturing of new polystyrene products.
The facility will use Agilyx’s proprietary chemical recycling technology to break down polystyrene to its molecular base monomers, which will be used for the creation of new styrenic polymers.
INEOS said that the process is a true circular recycling approach that will enable everyday products, like a cup, to be recycled back into a cup.
INEOS Styrolution Americas Standard Products vice president Ricardo Cuetos said: “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 polystyrene.
“This plant will dramatically increase recycling rates in the greater Chicago area, dispelling the myth that polystyrene can’t be recycled.”
Agilyx has completed the development programme for INEOS Styrolution
Using Agilyx’s chemical recycling process, PS contaminated with food and other organics can be transformed into new, food-grade plastic products or packaging.
Agilyx CEO Joe Vaillancourt said: “Polystyrene is the best option for prepared food and beverage containers. It provides cost-effective, high-quality packaging for food service applications.
“Alternative polymers chosen over polystyrene experience low recycling rates, are less amenable to chemical recycling, with most of those plastics ending up in landfills.”
Recently, Agilyx has completed the development programme for INEOS Styrolution that qualified the styrene product to INEOS’ specifications and the identified post-consumer polystyrene feedstock for the process.
The project’s next phase includes the engineering and design of the facility.
In October this year, Ineos has signed an agreement with food packaging producer Sirap to develop packaging solutions based on chemically recycled polystyrene.