Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS, Brussels / Belgium; www.styrenics-circular-solutions.com), the recycling initiative of international styrenics producers founded in late 2018 (see Plasteurope.com of 18.12.2018) has filed its first application to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, Parma / Italy; www.efsa.europa.eu) for authorisation of mechanically recycled polystyrene as food contact material.

The application follows tests the industry describes as “highly successful” and covers multiple end-consumer applications, including hot and cold beverage containers, yoghurt pots and trays. According to SCS, the trials confirmed that PS is highly recyclable to food-grade standards through mechanical recycling, one of several options being studied. Working with post-consumer food packing waste from collections in several European countries, the super-cleaning technology developed by Austria’s Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen (NGR, Feldkirchen; www.ngr-world.com) delivered a recycled polymer with excellent purity, the organisation said. Applications to EFSA for other uses are planned.

Calling the initial results “a breakthrough moment” for circular styrenics, SCS secretary-general Jens Kathmann said the industry now has a recyclate that meets the strict and very high purity requirements for food contact materials and confirms all the positive inherent characteristics of PS, not least its truly circular nature. Anabela Ferreira, SCS board member and co-owner of Intraplás (Rebordões / Portugal; www.intraplas.pt), added that converters found rPS to be a drop-in solution, behaving exactly as virgin and delivering the same properties, look and feel.

In cooperation with energy and plastics group Total, Intraplás and Yoplait late last year announced the successful completion of a pilot test to use certified, chemically recycled PS in yogurt pots (see Plasteurope.com of 11.12.2020).