Mechanically recycled PS suitable for food-contact applications?

Styrenics Circular Solutions, the value chain initiative to increase the circularity of styrenics,  has submitted an application to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for an opinion on the use of mechanically recycled polystyrene in food contact applications.

The application follows a number of highly successful challenge tests conducted by SCS in which a super-cleaning technology was used to recycle post-consumer food packing waste  - hot and cold beverage containers, yoghurt pots and trays - from various different European countries. The result was a recycled PS with excellent purity.

EU authorisation of mechanically recycled polystyrene as food contact material would ‘accelerate roadmap to commercial-scale PS recycling and further investment decisions’, according to SCS.

“We now have a recyclate that meets the strict and very high purity requirements for food contact materials,” said Jens Kathmann, Secretary-General of SCS.  “The whole value chain is looking forward to a positive EFSA opinion after such a strong application, which will be the door opener for the industrial scale-up.” He added that this was merely the first application submitted to EFSA and that more would follow.

The results of the challenge tests were also fully endorsed by the converter members of SCS. Anabela Ferreira, SCS board member and co-owner of converting company Intraplás said tests at their facilities confirmed the positive results achieved.

“We found recycled polystyrene to be a drop-in solution, behaving exactly as virgin and delivering the same properties, look and feel, right down to the snapability, when easily separating a yoghurt pot from a multipack,” she said.

“We converters, along with our brand-owner and retailer clients, will be eagerly awaiting the EFSA opinion on this game-changing development.”