BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has nailed down an important customer for its recycled polystyrene foam. From 1 April 2021, white goods manufacturer BSH Hausgeräte (Munich / Germany; www.bsh-group.com) will use the chemicals and plastics giant’s sustainable “Styropor Cycled” brand developed from chemically recycled plastic waste as a packaging material for selected large appliances of its luxury brand “Gaggenau”. Since the end of 2020, the manufacturer has been testing packaging made from recycled material at its Dillingen / Germany production site with the ambition to use it in all its large appliances worldwide.

Thanks to its manufacturing process, which has been certified by independent certification programme “Ecoloop”, BASF says Styropor Cycled has the same properties as conventional PS packaging foam, with the excellent impact absorption properties and the high compressive strength needed for sophisticated home appliances. To kick-start production of recyclate, its collaboration partners extract the oil from plastic waste that would otherwise be used for energy recovery or go to landfill. BASF then uses the required amount of oil to manufacture new polymer of similar quality to virgin material. Compared with conventional PS, at least 50% of the CO₂ used to produce packaging is saved, the group says.

In the future, the companies plan to strengthen their cooperation by examining the use of alternative raw materials along additional value chains and finding solutions to close the plastics loop in suitable areas. The work could include assessing additional recycling processes. As uncontaminated Styropor packaging waste can be mechanically recycled “extremely well”, BASF believes this type of recycling will be stepped up further in the coming years. The German group launched its “ChemCycling” initiative in 2018 and is continuously building up a network of collaboration partners (see Plasteurope.com of 18.12.2020).