Trinseo, a Berwyn, Pennsylvania-based supplier of material solutions and a manufacturer of plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rubber, says it has developed a new grade of postconsumer recycled polystyrene (r-PS) through a partnership with Fernholz, a German packaging manufacturer. According to Trinseo, the latest Form Fill Seal formulations incorporate as much as 40 percent r-PS, depending on the final application, as a result of Trinseo’s technology, which embeds the material into the polymerization process using solvent processes.
“With r-PS technology, we have developed a process that will help the plastics industry conserve resources and reduce oil consumption,” says Nicolas Joly, vice president of Plastics & Feedstocks at Trinseo. “We are very pleased to work with Fernholz as our collaboration partner to jointly respond to consumer and market expectations, offering companies a tangible solution for more sustainable packaging.”
Fernholz is working closely with Trinseo to incorporate r-PS into sheet production, which can be used for food packaging applications in compliance with food safety requirements. To date, full-scale field tests for processing, migration, sensory testing, and other common parameters have revealed that r-PS can be readily processed on classic FFS machines, eliminating the need for costly equipment upgrades, the company says.
“The feedback we have received from customers so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Uwe Fernholz, managing director at Fernholz. “The market has been waiting for a solution like this for a long time. As a result of the positive feedback, we are very confident that this breakthrough in recycled packaging made from polystyrene will help the value chain to meet its sustainability goals.”
Trinseo says the new material grade has been tested by several European dairy companies, some of which already have launched new products using the r-PS food packaging.
