Polystyrene is confirmed as a safe, functional barrier for food contact applications
Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), the value chain initiative to realize the circular economy for styrenic polymers, today announced that polystyrene (PS) could be used as a safe, functional barrier for mechanically recycled PS (rPS) in rigid food packaging. These findings are supported by a scientific study performed by Fraunhofer IVV.
The comprehensive study stress-tested the capacity of PS as a functional barrier by using purposely contaminated rPS as a middle layer in a coextruded ABA structure. It confirmed once more the low diffusion properties of PS, which are similar to PET, enable the safe use of mechanically recycled PS in food contact applications behind the PS functional barrier. Fraunhofer IVV performed rigorous testing on real yogurt pots, proving the safety in an ABA structure with up to 50% recycled polystyrene content. The results apply to all rigid thermoformed PS packaging.
Jens Kathmann, Secretary-General of SCS, said:
“This is another significant step for SCS. Now, we have multiple recycling technologies in place, from food contact mechanical recycling and dissolution to the chemical recycling technology depolymerization, all of which enable easy recycling of post-consumer PS waste to food contact material, over and over again. We also have multiple mechanical processes, like our partners NGR and Gneuss, which have proven to recycle PS to food-grade standards. In addition, this study now demonstrates a second safe solution for incorporating mechanically recycled PS content in food contact materials. These results broaden the range of the PS value chain circular options.”
Claudio Bilotti, Polystyrene Marketing Manager of Versalis (ENI), commented:
“This is exciting news, as the value chain now has another solution for incorporating rPS into food contact applications that can be placed on the market immediately. The proven functional barrier can be used immediately for yogurt pots with rPS content, rigid PS food contact packaging, and expanded PS trays.”
