Plastlit, a supplier of single-use plastics to the food service industry in Ecuador, now uses 18% post-consumer recycled polystyrene with 82% virgin material in all of its expanded polystyrene foam packaging.
This has been made possible through a joint effort with local recyclers who collect material from towns and cities. The collected post-consumer material is washed, shredded and then processed using Gneuss OMNI recycling technology for decontamination and cleaning.
The Gneuss OMNI recycling line at Plastlit is the first of its kind in Latin America to recycle post-consumer polystyrene waste into food contact materials.
“We chose Gneuss as our partner because of their outstanding technologies and know-how,” said Esteban Simon, Plastlit CEO. “Their achievements in the plastics and recycling industries truly convinced us of their ability to support our project.”
The Gneuss Super-Clean Process enables the efficient recycling of 100% post-consumer plastics into safe, high-quality materials, including for food packaging. The Gneuss OMNI recycling system combines advanced degassing with the MRS extruder and fine filtration with the RSFgenius system to effectively remove contaminants. Unlike other processes, this Gneuss technology requires no pre- or post-processing steps. Vacuum systems to remove contaminants from the degassed vapours complete the system, enabling previously unattainable recycling loops.
The technology has received approval from both the North American food safety authority and the Colombian National Institute of Drug and Food Surveillance (INVIMA).
“Our current focus is on incorporating up to 18% recycled material into our finished products, and we’re very pleased with the progress we’ve made so far," said Simon. “Our goal is to expand the use of recycled materials into industrial packaging for the food industry. This includes flexible packaging solutions, such as sheets for dairy or yogurt manufacturers. Transitioning from food service to industrial packaging with recycled materials is a key area we are actively pursuing. When you think about plastic packaging in the future and recycled material, recycling and plastic must go hand in hand, and Gneuss is the right partner to make that vision a reality,” he concluded.
Since 2020, Ecuador has been at the forefront of Latin America's efforts to reduce single-use plastics and promote recycling. The legislation includes bans on certain items, requirements for recyclable materials, improved waste management through public-private partnerships and initiatives to raise environmental awareness.