The Tessenderlo recycling facility is capable of processing 15 kilotons per annum of rPS flakes and converting them into high-quality recycled styrene
Trinseo to build chemical recycling plant in Europe. (Credit: boscoshane from Pixabay)
Trinseo, a materials company focused on plastics and latex binders, announced that its plans for building a chemical recycling plant in Europe are progressing as per schedule.
Last year, the company signed contracts with mixed plastic waste recycling technology provider Synova and engineering services company Worley for the project.
The materials company is currently working on an engineering package and preparing its site in Tessenderlo, Belgium for the construction of the recycling plant.
Trinseo aims to start the construction by the end of 2022.
Once completed, the plant will exclusively produce recycled polystyrene (rPS) to address the demand for the material, as a sustainable option for brand owners.
Trinseo SVP and chief sustainability officer Francesca Reverberi said: “Trinseo chose Synova and Worley to move forward with because of their leadership in their respective areas, the efficiency and maturity of their technologies and approaches, and high-quality output.
“Both, also, have a very strong commitment to sustainability and this alignment was critical for us as we continue our journey and goal of delivering sustainable material solutions, while maintaining high quality and performance.”
Worley provides engineering, procurement, and construction, as well as consulting services, project and asset services for the energy, chemicals, and resources sectors.
Synova’s technology has been created by independent Dutch research organisation TNO and facilitates an effective process to convert waste into high-value products.
Trinseo said that its recycling facility can process 15 kilotons per annum of rPS flakes, converting them into high-quality recycled styrene.
The recycled styrene is further used in the production of polystyrene (PS) or a styrene derivative including Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN).
The materials company said that PS can be converted to its monomer yielding a material with identical properties as its fossil equivalent and can be fully circular.
Trinseo said that the construction of the Tessenderlo recycling facility is part of its commitment to sustainability in plastics.