Pyrowave, a Canadian firm engaged in microwave-based recycling of plastics, and Ineos Styrolution America LLC, the US subsidiary of the global styrenics producer headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, have agreed a partnership to support Pyrowave’s North American post-consumer polystyrene recycling project.
The project aims to demonstrate the recyclability of post-consumer polystyrene packaging utilising Pyrowave’s Catalytic Microwave Depolymerisation (CMD) technology. Ineos Styrolution is the first manufacturer to join the consortium project.
Ricardo Cuetos, vice president Standard Products at Ineos Styrolution America LLC, commented: “We are very excited to collaborate with Pyrowave in this project. At Ineos Styrolution, we are committed to exploring ways towards a circular economy. Polystyrene is a too valuable material to end up in landfills. Pyrowave’s North American project is a significant component in our efforts to recycle polystyrene taking advantage of innovative technologies.”
Currently, Pyrowave is operating a full scale machine in Montreal, Canada and plans to deploy units in the field and demonstrate its business model with a strong consortium of industry leaders, representing the value chain. Pyrowave claims its microwave technology is the first of its kind at commercial scale and generates particularly high yields of monomers with a very low energy consumption.
Jocelyn Doucet, chief executive of Pyrowave, added: “We are extremely pleased to announce the support of Ineos Styrolution in the project as it shows strong leadership from the polystyrene industry that wants to improve the life cycle of polymer products. We believe that plastics are meant to stay in our modern world and to continue delivering broad span benefits during their use phase. However, this must include end-of-life-solutions. We believe the future of plastic is circular. Our technology combined with the support of the industry will help improve our world’s resource efficiency for the good of future generations.”