• Planning process progresses to conceptual design phase
• Reaffirmation of the companies’ commitment to drive up styrenics recycling for food
contact applications
• This plant will mark a step change in polystyrene recycling in Europe
INEOS Styrolution and Trinseo, global leaders in the manufacturing of polystyrene and other
styrenic materials, announced that they are advancing plans to build the first-of-its-kind
polystyrene recycling plant based on depolymerisation in Wingles in the north of France.1 The
planned full commercial scale recycling facility will be capable of processing up to 50 tons-perday
of post-consumer polystyrene feedstock and is expected to be fully operational by mid-
2023.
In previous project milestones, the depolymerisation of polystyrene has proven to be an ideal
recycling process showcasing polystyrene’s unique intrinsic capability for full circularity. The
plastics-to-plastics depolymerisation technology converts polystyrene food packaging waste
directly back into its original liquid monomer, which then can be repolymerised into recycled
polystyrene for the same high-quality end applications, including food contact applications much
like virgin polystyrene.
During the conceptual design phase two technology concepts from Agilyx and Recycling
Technologies will be evaluated with regards to quality, efficiency and adaptation to different
waste streams.
“We are excited to move to the next phase of engineering of this plant, as we are well on track
to deploy the game-changing depolymerisation technology with the construction of this recycling
plant in France,” said Nicolas Joly, Vice President, Plastics & Feedstocks at Trinseo and
President of Styrenics Circular Solutions. “This plant will be part of establishing a novel recycling
infrastructure for styrenics in Europe together with key players from across the entire value
chain, which will mark a step change in polystyrene recycling.”
Sven Riechers, Vice President, Business Management, Standard Products EMEA at INEOS
Styrolution, said: “Our collaboration between Trinseo and INEOS Styrolution is a significant
commitment of capital and resources and a major milestone in truly closing the loop with food
grade recycled content. It forms part of INEOS Styrolution’s and Trinseo’s commitments to use,
on average, 30% recycled content in products destined for polystyrene packaging in Europe by
2025.”
Trinseo and INEOS Styrolution are founding members of Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), the
value chain initiative to increase the circularity of styrenics. Jens Kathmann, Secretary General
of SCS, concludes, “The construction of a polystyrene depolymerisation plant is much awaited
by the market and brings our joint vision one step closer to fruition to deliver on the unique
circularity potential of styrenics. In parallel, SCS, its members and partners are continuing to
advance our food contact mechanical recycling and dissolution technologies that complement
our portfolio of plastics-to-plastics recycling to jump start the availability of recycled polystyrene.”
Background:
AmSty, INEOS Styrolution and Trinseo have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to
accelerate the introduction of circularity for one of the most recyclable polymers, polystyrene.
The JDA targets advancements in all technical aspects to enable scaled investment in
advanced commercial recycling solutions and optimize recycling technologies for large-scale
commercial use.
Polystyrene is a unique polymer suitable for multiple advanced recycling solutions like
depolymerisation. Its properties make it ideal for a circular economy – even enabling food
contact compliancy of the recycled material, often considered the holy grail of polymer recycling.
