Technological watch

Trinseo, a specialty materials solution provider, announced that it has been working with CEDAP, an expert in plastic film extrusion and thermoforming, to provide food contact compliant recycled polystyrene (rPS) for the yogurt cups of the French brand Les 300 Laitiers Bio since April 2022.
The brand is a holding of Eurial Ultra-Frais, the European agricultural cooperative.
Depolymerization of PS Waste
The material used for the application is Trinseo’s STYRON™ CO2RE™ CR55 Polystyrene Resin that combines 55 percent recycled styrene monomer feedstock with virgin, fossil-based content. After refining and production, the material yields 50 percent rPS and this is what goes into the yogurt pot application.
According to Trinseo’s Sustainability Business Development leader, Julien Renvoise, “Trinseo is seeing increased demand for rPS, not only in sensitive food applications, as with CEDAP and Eurial Ultra-Frais, but in applications across industry sectors. Due to the simple chemistry of PS, polystyrene waste can be processed in a number of ways, allowing customers not only to meet sustainability goals but to achieve material performance and cost requirements.”
Depolymerization technology is used in the recycling process and allows polystyrene (PS) waste to be converted to its monomer (styrene), which is then combined with virgin content in manufacturing with no distinction between the two materials. Consequently, STYRON™ CO2RE™ CR55 Polystyrene Resins can be used in high quality, demanding applications including consumer electronics, packaging, household durables … and even food contact applications.
Using the Trinseo rPS, CEDAP produces a PS sheet roll and sends it to Eurial Ultra-Frais for yogurt pot thermoforming, filling, and sealing and, ultimately, delivery of the final Les 300 Laitiers BIO product to the retailer.
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ISCC+ Mass Balance Certified
For traceability of sustainable content, all three companies are ISCC+ mass balance certified. Mass Balance has become the recognized standard when mixing sustainable and non-sustainable content in a production process.
Recycled PS has been shown to have a favorable impact on the environment. A Styrenics Circular Solutions Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) compared PS produced with 100 percent virgin, fossil content with material containing recycled PS. Results show that with depolymerized rPS, there is a 75 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.
Eurial Ultra-Frais, CEDAP, and Trinseo share a commitment to sustainability, recognizing the importance of preserving fossil resources, reducing one’s carbon footprint, and implement a circular economic model. All three are focused on innovation in PS as it is a material that has the potential to be infinitely recycled, thus preventing it from ending up in a landfill as waste.
Source: Trinseo