The Polymers Business unit of Total and Polystyvert, a Montreal-based clean technology startup with an innovative method for polystyrene recycling, have agreed to work on dissolution and purification of household post-consumer polystyrene.
The combination of Polystyvert’s innovative technology and Total’s know-how in industrial-scale dissolution and polymerisation technologies should generate high-quality recyclates addressing a broad range of polystyrene market requirements.
Polystyvert has developed an innovative low-carbon-footprint method for recycling polystyrene that is based on a dissolution process. This process produces recyclates which can be used in a broader range of market applications than recyclates produced through mechanical recycling methods. Household postconsumer plastics such as polystyrene often contain contaminants that make mechanical recycling difficult or not practical.
Polystyrene
Jean Viallefont, VP Polymers Europe, Total Refining & Chemicals, said: “We are very pleased to collaborate with Polystyvert on this ambitious and exciting journey. In 2017, Total performed three successful test runs with post-consumer recyclates incorporated in virgin polymer via dissolution and polymerisation.
Working with Polystyvert to tackle household post-consumer waste is the next logical step for Total.”
Solenne Brouard, Founder of Polystyvert, said: ‘’We are excited to join forces with Total on the recycling of polystyrene. Collaborating with Total on household waste will accelerate the
industrial development of our technology for global markets and demonstrate its suitability to address any type of polystyrene stream.”
Founded in 2011, Polystyvert is a Montreal-based clean technology startup that has developed an innovative, low-carbon-footprint process to recycle polystyrene based on a dissolution technology.
Effective on all types of polystyrene, Polystyvert’s technology includes a purification process that removes all contaminants, with a decentralized model that drastically reduces transportation costs. The result is a high-purity recycled resource that can be reused for upcycled polystyrene products, opening the door to a larger market than actual mechanical recycling technologies.