Major sorting plant leads to 86% high-quality recycling, including of #polystyrene (PS): As recently reported, Svensk Plaståtervinning (SPÅ / Swedish Plastic Recycling) announced that in 2025, 86% of the plastic packaging waste sorted at Site Zero in Motala is recycled into products of the same or equivalent quality as the original. This is defined as "high-quality recycling" and desired by the #PPWR. It was achieved through advanced technology and with certified recycling partners in the EU. Existing traceability and verification processes allowed SPÅ to complete its first mapping of the end-uses for each fraction. The model is audited by an independent third party and has been recognised by @EU_Eurostat. 7% became new food packaging, including #PS, and 18% other packaging. 61% was converted into other high-quality plastic products such as luggage, cleaning equipment and larger containers. This was due to current demand patterns, while a large share could technically have replaced virgin plastic in packaging. However, the recycled plastic directly replaced virgin fossil raw material. The remaining 14% was recycled into products such as pallets and construction material, primarily replacing other virgin materials such as wood. Generally, building recycling capacity and access to high-quality recycled plastic within the EU has become a question of industrial strategy – as well as legal requirements, e.g. for recycled content in packaging from 2030. SPÅ expects that demand for high-quality recycled plastic will grow substantially as 2030 approaches. It said that it is "ready to deliver". Inaugurated in late 2023, Site Zero has an annual capacity of 200Kt. It sorts plastic packaging waste into mono-fractions, including #PS and #EPS. It can sort up to 95% of all plastic packaging waste it receives to a quality level of up to 98%, SPÅ says. It was certified by @RecyClassEU in 2026. Significant sorting and recycling capacity for plastic packaging, including #PS, has been added or upgraded across Europe in recent years, also for example in Finland, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy and France. Multiple "novel" mechanical, physical (dissolution); as well as chemical (depolymerisation) #recycling technologies are available at industrial scale to produce high-quality recycled PS (rPS), including safe food contact material (FCM). Since October 2022, EU Regulation 2022/1616 has allowed the use of rPS FCM produced with novel technologies under stringent conditions – also prior to an @EFSA_EU opinion. In March, the European Commission assigned novel technology numbers, including to INEOS @Styrolution, @Trinseo and SCS. This month, it confirmed role of novel technologies in meeting recycled content requirements for food packaging. Since late 2024, multiple frontrunners have started using 10-30% rPS in award-winning food packaging, such as PS pots and #XPS trays. Sources: - SPÅ's announcement: svenskplastatervinning.se/en… - Opening of Site Zero: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Upgrade brings BZB sorting plant in Spain "to new levels: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – recycling capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - INEOS Styrolution's mrPS in yoghurt pots: ineos.com/de/businesses/ineo… - Dairy pot with 30% mechanically rPS content wins Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut e. V. (dvi) award: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Trinseo's rPS FCM: trinseo.com/news-and-events/… - Examples of rXPS trays on the market: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status…

Germany wants to incentivise recycled content earlier and more than the #PPWR: Government calls for early start of the compliance with minimum requirements; Parliament for eco-modulation and rapid approval of recycled food contact material (FCM). Potential boost to recycled PS (rPS). Earlier this month, the Bundesregierung (@die_regierung) adopted the action programme to implement its 2024 national circular economy strategy (#NKWS). The Government stated that it is advocating for the inclusion of a "savings phase" from 2028 to 2029 in the EU methodology for the calculation and verification of the recycled content, which is due to be adopted by the European Commission (EC) by the end of this year. The "savings phase" has been proposed by IK (Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e. V.). SCS understands that it would allow manufacturers to voluntarily incorporate recycled content already before 2030 to use such "savings" to comply from 2030. Thus, it could increase demand earlier, bridge to 2030, and possibly smooth the demand curve. The PPWR recycled content requirements apply "per packaging type and format, calculated as an average per manufacturing plant and year". The concept expands on "year". As such, it does not alter any of the other elements, e.g. who must incorporate recycled content (from which kind of waste), in which packaging, where (and how this is verified etc.). Last week, the @Bundestag adopted the act to adapt German packaging law to the EU PPWR that will apply directly from 12 August (#VerpackDG). An amendment by the Parliament tasks the Government with adopting secondary legislation on the eco-modulation of extended producer responsibility (#EPR) fees, at least based on recyclability as well as recycled content. That would finally operationalise principles which German packaging law has foreseen since 2017. The Parliament also adopted a resolution calling on the Government to do so as quickly as possible. The rules on recycled content should apply from 2027. At the EU level, the Government should, among other things, work towards only taking recyclates "produced in the EU" into account, as well as the rapid approval of additional recyclates, particularly for applications such as FCM. These measures could give a boost to plastic #recycling and the uptake of rPS, in addition to measures already adopted by the EU and e.g. France, and others currently considered. Multiple "novel" mechanical, physical (dissolution), as well as chemical (depolymerisation) recycling technologies are available at industrial scale to produce high-quality rPS, including safe FCM. Multiple frontrunners are already using 10-30% rPS in award-winning food packaging, such as #PS pots and #XPS trays. In March, the EC assigned novel technology numbers, including to INEOS @Styrolution, @Trinseo and SCS. This month, it confirmed role of novel technologies in meeting recycled content requirements for food packaging. Sources: - Announcement of the NKWS action programme: bundesumweltministerium.de/d… - Announcement of the adoption of the VerpackDG: bundestag.de/dokumente/texta… - INEOS Styrolution's mrPS in yoghurt pots: ineos.com/de/businesses/ineo… - Dairy pot with 30% mechanically rPS content wins @dviVerpackung (dvi) award: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Trinseo's rPS FCM: trinseo.com/news-and-events/… - Examples of rXPS trays on the market: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - EC assigns novel technology numbers: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - EC confirms role of novel technologies in meeting recycled content requirements for food packaging: bit.ly/3QPb6LK

European Commission (EC) confirms role of novel technologies to meet recycled content requirements for food packaging: The EC published its guidance notice on the #PPWR last week, following a widely discussed draft in March and accompanied by an FAQ document. Generally, this is another but certainly not the last step towards clarifying and implementing the PPWR. Specifically, the notice now refers to novel technologies. It confirms that an exemption from recycled content requirements for food packaging foreseen “where the quantity of recycled content poses a threat to human health and results in non-compliance of packaged products [...]” (Art. 7(5)(a) PPWR), can effectively not be applied to e.g. common dairy pots and food trays. It explains in section 7 that any manufacturer that wants to qualify for the exemption would have to “substantiate” and provide “evidence” in its technical documentation that for the polymer used there is neither 1⃣a suitable technology listed in Recycled Plastic FCM Reg. 2022/1616 (regardless of the scale at which it is available); nor 2⃣a technology in accordance with Art. 4(3) of Reg. 2022/1616 available at an industrial scale. Crucially, that refers to (a) suitable technologies as well as (b) novel technologies (NTs), and means at least a single recycling plant in commercial operation. This interpretation is in line with the phrasing and objectives of the PPWR, as well as with stringent food contact materials (FCM) regulation. In particular, Reg. 2022/1616 allows the use of FCM manufactured with NTs. It does not require a prior EFSA assessment (Art. 4(1), (3)(b) and (5)). In March, the EC started to assign and publish NT numbers, including to INEOS @Styrolution, @Trinseo and SCS. The listed NTs have passed multiple checks, including the verification of their notification by the competent authority, as well as informally by the EC and with @EFSA_EU. SCS members and others launched recycled PS (#rPS) FCM on the market in 2024-2025. Mechanically rPS is already used e.g. in various kinds of award-winning PS pots and #XPS trays in multiple countries. Furthermore, #depolymerisation (chemical) #recycling of these types of PS is also available at industrial scale. Reg. 2022/1616 considers FCM produced with chemical recycling that “use[s] waste to manufacture substances included in the Union list of authorised substances” as ‘as safe as virgin’ plastic. Thus, such chemical recycling is excluded from its scope. It will not and does not have to be listed as “suitable” in that Regulation. For this and other reasons, the words “suitable” and “authorised” in the PPWR do not have the same, specific meaning as in Reg. 2022/1616. Therefore, all plastic food packaging manufacturers should use the available safe – suitable, novel or (certain) chemical – recycling technologies, with which they can meet recycled content requirements, rather than hope for derogations. Sources: - EC website on the implementation of the PPWR, with links to its guidance: green-forum.ec.europa.eu/pac… - EC assigns NT numbers: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - INEOS Styrolution's mrPS in yoghurt pots: ineos.com/de/businesses/ineo… - Dairy pot with 30% mechanically rPS content wins @dviVerpackung (dvi) award: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Trinseo's rPS FCM: trinseo.com/news-and-events/… - @Colruytgroup's sortable dark grey XPS trays with 10% rPS from Indaver’s depolymerisation plant (and other rXPS): xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status…

EU takes next step to safe recycled #polystyrene (#rPS) in food packaging and other food contact material and articles (FCM): The European Commission (EC) has assigned and published the number of the novel technology (NT) developed by SCS with its consortium: BE1-3UT-2N6. It has also assigned numbers to the NTs individually developed by SCS members Ineos @Styrolution and @Trinseo, as well as multiple others for PS and other plastics. SCS' NT includes a functional barrier, while those of its members are for direct food contact. Marketability and transparency: This EC publication confirms that recycled plastic FCM manufactured according to the EU rules for NTs with the listed NTs is allowed on the European market. It may be used, e.g., to meet recycled content requirements of the EU packaging law (#PPWR). This follows directly from EU Regulation 2022/1616 (Art. 4(1),( 3)(b) and (5)). It does not require a prior @EFSA_EU assessment. The NT part of the Union register provides links to the mandatory publications detailing each technology.  Its initial version lists 20 NTs of developers in the EU and 4 from outside the EU, fewer than the known overall number of NTs notified. The EC explains that it has only included data that it and the Member States have been able to validate. This includes the mandatory publications. The safety of SCS' NT has been underpinned by extensive tests and multiple peer-reviewed studies since before its notification. Furthermore, the listed NTs have already passed multiple checks: during the verification of the notification by the competent authority according to the Regulation, as well as informally by the EC and with EFSA (according to the EC). Way forward: Following the publication of four monitoring reports, SCS' has had a request to initiate the assessment by EFSA pending with the EC since May 2025. The EC has been working on these requests. We reiterate our calls on the EC to follow through with its plans to further confirm the safety of the NT, and to fully and even-handedly implement the Regulation to ensure the safety of both EU-produced and imported FCM. We are confident regarding the capacity to supply safe FCM produced with 'novel' closed-loop mechanical and physical (dissolution) recycling technologies for of #PS (incl. GPPS and HIPS), #XPS as well as #EPS packaging, and for other applications. Furthermore, depolymerisation (chemical) recycling of these types of PS is already available at industrial scale. Used to produce 'as good as virgin' material, it does not fall within the scope of the Regulation at hand and Union register. Ever more national and individual initiatives have already been achieving the use of 10-30% rPS in food packaging on the market. Public data points to growing available PS feedstock, sorting and recycling capacity. Sources: - Union register: food.ec.europa.eu/food-safet… - INEOS @Styrolution's mrPS in yoghurt pots: ineos.com/de/businesses/ineo… - @Trinseo's rPS FCM: trinseo.com/news-and-events/… - Safety of rPS FCM (with further references): xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Examples of national and individual PS circularity initiatives across Europe (and beyond): xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – available feedstock: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – recycling capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… @COEXPAN_ @EslavaPlasticos @flogroup @GreinerNews @IntraplasS @Trinseo @eni (Versalis)

Value chain further increases commitment to and cooperation on the #circularity of #polystyrene to meet upcoming requirements of EU packaging law (#PPWR): 🇮🇹 In Italy, converters Faerch, Gruppo Happy and Klöckner Pentaplast @kpGroup_ signed a Voluntary Agreement for Sustainable Innovation in Styrene-based Food Packaging under the umbrella of their national Federazione Gomma Plastica. The scope of the agreement encompasses XPS, #PS (GPPS, HIPS and OPS) and EPS food packaging. It is open to all companies producing styrenic packaging. It pursues environmental and technical harmonisation by sharing and disseminating already gained experience in design for recycling (DfR), promoting the adoption of DfR criteria and recycled content specifications, as well as traceability through certifications accredited with the Italian body @ACCREDIA, and with targeted awareness-raising communication. Particularly, its signatories commit to using a minimum of 10% safe and accredited recycled content in styrenic food packaging, as the creation of a market for recycled plastic is a fundamental prerequisite for a sustainable circular system. This minimum may be increased while each signatory may independently pursue higher targets. The agreement says that it fits perfectly within the framework of ongoing activities, e.g. the establishment of a coordination committee for the recycling of PS packaging within producer responsibility consortium @Corepla_Riciclo. 🇩🇪In Germany, dairy companies @Danone and Theo Müller Group joined Forum Rezyklat to promote PS recycling in the new initiative “Keeping PS alive – Realising PS Circularity.” Currently, 16 companies from all stages of the PS value chain participate in this initiative. These also include ALDI Nord and ALDI SÜD, SCS consortium members Greiner Packaging and Vogt Plastic, as well as BellandVision, Eko-Punkt, InterZero and PreZero, among others. The forum is hosted by @GS1 Germany. Materials that can be effectively recycled and allow for the safe use of recyclates even in food packaging should be promoted. The announcement highlights that PS is such a material, also as 98% of it collected via the yellow bin has been food packaging. The initiative focuses on optimising the collection and sorting of PS pots, enabling the use of mechanically recycled PS (mrPS), and increasing the demand for it, with the goal of establishing a high-quality, (mechanical) recycling at scale loop for PS in the EU by 2030. 🇪🇸Meanwhile, the Spanish ACPS - Alianza por la circularidad del poliestireno has launched its communication channel. Ever more national and individual initiatives have been improving the circularity of all types of PS packaging, achieving the use of 10-30% safe mrPS in food packaging on the market. Some of that is known to be provided by SCS members such as @Styrolution. Public data points to growing available PS feedstock, sorting and recycling capacity. Sources: - Original Italian announcement: federazionegommaplastica.it/… - Original German announcement: forum-rezyklat.de/news/press… - Examples of national and individual PS circularity initiatives across Europe (and beyond): xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – available feedstock: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – recycling capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status…

Large-scale sorting plant in Germany, including for #polystyrene, “rebuilt for resilience”: @Stadler_Group has announced that Sortierkontor Nord (SKN) in Bremen resumes operations. Jointly operated by  Nehlsen AG and PreZero Deutschland, it is one of Europe’s most modern, state-of-the-art sorting plants and has a capacity of 120Kt for household packaging waste separately collected in Bremen and the surrounding federal states. It continues to deliver 12 high-purity mono-material fractions, including #PS. Stadler had originally designed and commissioned the plant in 2021. It carried out the reconstruction after two fire incidents in 2022 destroyed around one-third of the machinery area and caused further damage. The plant now meets even higher safety requirements with significantly enhanced fire protection by structurally separating classification halls and other measures taken. It is also prepared for automated battery extraction – an increasingly critical challenge for the waste and recycling industry. Furthermore, optimised flow reduces material bottlenecks, Stadler said. The fires temporarily disabling this large sorting plant coincided with a slight dip of the 'directed to recycling’ (input) rate for separately collected PS household packaging reported by the German Federal Environment Agency @Umweltbundesamt (UBA). It has since remained stable at 63%. Sorting and #recycling capacity for PS is being extended across Europe (and beyond). Most recent examples include the upgrade and extension to 40Kt capacity of a sorting plant in Bizkaia (Basque Country), Spain, also by Stadler. At the same time, multiple national and individual value chain initiatives have been further improving the #circularity of all types of PS packaging. This includes consumer-facing campaigns to improve the collection of household packaging, and safely incorporating mechanically, physically (dissolution) and chemically (depolymerisation) recycled PS (#rPS) in food packaging, closing the loop. Sources: - Stadler’s original post with link to press release: xitter.cf/Stadler_Group/status/2… - Established PS recycling in Germany: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – recycling capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Upgrade brings sorting plant in Spain “to new levels”, including for PS: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Value chain initiatives for PS circularity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… Image: Stadler

Upgrade brings sorting plant in Spain “to new levels”, including for #polystyrene: @Stadler_Group has announced a comprehensive modernisation of the BZB (Bizkaiko Zabor Berziklategia) household packaging waste sorting facility in Amorebieta-Extano, Bizkaia (Basque Country). Its capacity reportedly increases from 23Kt to 40Kt. According to Stadler, the original plant was commissioned in 2002. The upgraded facility was officially inaugurated at the end of January, with representatives of operators Garbiker AB SA and @TrienekensPV, producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Ecoembes and other stakeholders also in attendance. The upgrade represents a major leap forward in capacity, efficiency, automation and digitalisation. It enables BZB to more than double throughput from 3t to 8t per hour, to improve material purity of output fractions including #PS, and to future-proof operations in line with evolving regulatory and market demands. The definition of the sorting criteria was carried out in close coordination with the PRO, which plays a key role in the planning and implementation of the facility as a system partner. The upgrade was completed in a short timeframe, with assembly taking just three and a half months, and two months earlier than originally scheduled, Stadler said. To realise the full #circularity potential of PS in Spain, @ecoembes , SCS members INEOS @Styrolution, @Trinseo, @COEXPAN_ and @IntraplasS, as well as SCS itself and others support the Alianza Circularidad PS (ACPS),  which has been launched  by dairy companies organised in @AEFY_es - Asociacion Espanola de Fabricantes de Yogur y Postres Lacteos Frescos. It is one of multiple national and individual value chain initiatives that have been further improving the #recycling of all types of PS packaging. They contribute to growing sorting and recycling capacity for PS across Europe (and beyond). - Stadler’s original post with link to press release: xitter.cf/Stadler_Group/status/2… - SCS presents to ACPS in Spain: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Value chain initiatives for PS circularity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – recycling capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… Image: Stadler

A growing number of national and individual value chain initiatives is further improving the #circularity of all types of #polystyrene packaging across Europe (and beyond). A few examples: 🇩🇪 In Germany, 63% of separately collected #PS household packaging is directed to established recycling. Its 75% recycling (output) efficiency is surpassed only by #EPS, according to the German Federal Environment Agency @Umweltbundesamt (UBA). The industry Initiative "Mülltrennung wirkt" promotes correct household waste separation. Furthermore, major supermarkets @Lidl and Aldi Sud have introduced award-winning dairy pots containing 30% mechanically recycled PS (#rPS) from SCS member INEOS @Styrolution. 🇫🇷 In France, dairy producer organisation Syndifrais, which includes SCS member Yoplait, promotes the separate collection of yoghurt pots through the #TriTonPot campaign. With others, it committed to a ‘PS25’ vision in 2020. Producer responsibility organisation (PRO) @CiteoFrance established the PS recycling channel in 2022. It has since scaled up the 'over-sorting' of PS. The 'Créa-SRYR' project spearheaded by @Elipsoemballage has focused on EPS and #XPS. Citeo has recently laid out a roadmap for the recycling of EPS household packaging. 🇮🇹 In Italy, the value chain – including PRO @Corepla_Riciclo, Gruppo Happy, SCS consortium members Versalis, FLO Group and others – discussed a permanent roundtable on circularity in November, deeming PS, XPS and EPS packaging “synonymous with safety, hygiene and reliability” and “an integral part of the transition to a circular economy”. Major supermarket chain Esselunga has begun using XPS trays containing 10% rPS. 🇪🇸 In Spain, dairy companies organised in Asociacion Espanola de Fabricantes de Yogur y Postres Lacteos Frescos (@AEFY_es), have launched the Alianza Circularidad PS (ACPS). It is supported by PRO @ecoembes, SCS members such as @Trinseo and @COEXPAN_, SCS itself and others. 🇧🇪 In Belgium, PRO @FostPlusfr puts the recycling (output) rate for PS, XPS and EPS household packaging already at 50% – only a few years after the separate kerbside collection was extended to typical PS and XPS formats. Furthermore, major supermarket @Colruyt has improved the design of its XPS trays. Its sortable dark grey trays contain 10% rPS from Indaver's new depolymerisation plant, while its light brown XPS trays use mechanically rPS behind a functional barrier. Other countries have also extended the collection and sorting of packaging waste for recycling, including PS. This is implemented by PROs such as Svensk Plaståtervinnings in Sweden, @Soc_Ponto_Verde in Portugal (in a project with SCS member @IntraplasS, and ARA Altstoff Recycling Austria. Initiatives are ongoing across the globe, e.g. by the @Polystyrene_SA and SCS member UpSolv in North America. Feel free to share a link to your PS circularity project. Sources: - German PS ‘recycling’ (input) rate: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - PS' recycling efficiency: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - rPS yoghurt pots: xitter.cf/Styrolution/status/186… - rPS dairy pot wins Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut @dviVerpackung (dvi) award: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Closing the loop for yoghurt pots in France: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Italian PS value chain “speaks with one voice”: linkedin.com/pulse/polistire… - rXPS food trays in Italy: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - SCS presents to ACPS in Spain: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Belgian PS recycling rate: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Belgian stakeholders close loop for (X)PS: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status…

"Fighting myths with facts – recycling packaging waste in Germany works" – and that includes #PS: The German Federal Environment Agency @Umweltbundesamt (UBA) and the Central Agency Packaging Register @ZSVR_LUCID (ZSVR) have unveiled their latest figures. They show that packaging #recycling works and is well monitored. Overall, recycling rates remained stable in 2024. Five out of eight national packaging waste recovery/recycling targets were (over-) achieved, including for plastics. The mechanical plastic recycling (input) rate has increased from 42% in 2018 to 70.8% (of the licensed volumes). Meanwhile, 28% of what is separately collected in the yellow bins/bags is incorrectly discarded in them. The established #polystyrene recycling continued to contribute to this success. The sorted/'directed to recycling rate' for separately collected PS household packaging remained stable at 63%, according to the preview on a forthcoming UBA report. UBA documented earlier that once sorted, the 75% recycling (output) efficiency of PS household plastic packaging is surpassed only by #EPS. ZSVR and UBA explain how the recycling rate can be further increased for all packaging: better design for recycling (DfR), continuous improvement of sorting technology in the 43 centres in Germany and consistent and correct separate discarding by users. The latter is encouraged by the industry Initiative "Mülltrennung wirkt". Furthermore, PS packaging on German supermarket shelves has recently started including recycled PS (#rPS), e.g. 30% in PS pots. Such increased use of rPS will drive investments in sorting and recycling of PS. (No) Need for confusion: The German institutions specify how they report against various national targets and based on various national methodologies here. Germany also reports a(n overall) plastic packaging waste recycling (output) rate according to EU rules to the EU. The #PPWR tasks the @EU_Commission with adopting harmonised granular EU reporting rules by February 2027. Other European countries have been catching up to or exceeding such recycling success, including PS. For example, Belgian producer responsibility organisations (PRO) @FostPlusfr has provided recycling (output) rates for various plastic packaging categories ahead of the PPWR. For PS, XPS and EPS, it is already around 50% – only a few years after the separate collection at kerbside was extended to typical PS and XPS packaging formats like pots and trays across the country. Furthermore, this does not even include the generally successful recycling of EPS commercial packaging, for which another PRO is responsible. Many more countries have been improving collection and sorting for recycling, including of PS. - ZSVR's press release (with further references): verpackungsregister.org/en/f… - PS' recycling efficiency: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Belgian (PS) packaging recycling rate: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - INEOS Styrolution's rPS in yoghurt pots: xitter.cf/Styrolution/status/186… - Another dairy pot with 30% mechanically rPS content wins Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut (dvi) award: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Areas of growth in circular PS – recycling capacity: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… Image: ZSVR #circulareconomy

Italian value chain project closes loop for recycled #polystyrene (rPS) in XPS food trays: Polimerica reported that major supermarket chain Esselunga uses 150 million extruded polystyrene (XPS) trays per year, mainly to pack fresh meat and fish. To use rPS in them, it has worked with Versalis; recyclers such as Forever Plast; packaging producers Magic Pack, Faerch and Klöckner Pentaplast, as well as extended producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Corepla. The initial share of rPS content is 10%. It is used in direct contact with food (rather than in an ABA structure). This share could rise to 15% and even 20%. The EU packaging law #PPWR requires 10% recycled content in non-PET food packaging, including PS, from 2030, and 25% from 2040. In the future, such rPS may also be used in EPS food packaging. Successful field tests were conducted at 26 stores in recent months. Another 48 supermarkets have been added since November. The roll-out will be completed in hundreds of locations this year, according to Polimerica. Several complementary, mechanical, physical (dissolution) and chemical (depolymerisation) PS recycling technologies are being scaled up to efficiently address various feedstock and output qualities. They can all produce safe rPS food contact material (FCM), as well as material for other high value applications. Since October 2022, EU law has allowed the use of rPS FCM produced with so-called novel technologies under stringent conditions – also prior to a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion. Extensive tests and studies have confirmed the safety of post-consumer rPS. Versalis launched mechanically rPS for direct food contact in 2024. @Styrolution, @Trinseo and others have also introduced food-grade rPS on the market. Mechanically rPS is for example used in dairy pots in Germany. The design, collection, sorting and recycling of various types of PS packaging have been improving across Europe and beyond. For example, major Belgian supermarket chain @Colruyt has cooperated with PRO Fost Plus and Indaver to optimise the circularity of XPS meat trays. It recently announced that its sortable dark grey XPS trays have had 10% rPS content from Indaver's new depolymerisation plant since October, while its light brown foam trays contain mechanically rPS behind a functional barrier. - Polimerica's article: polimerica.it/articolo.asp?i… - Versalis' mrPS FCM: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - INEOS Styrolution's mrPS in yoghurt pots: xitter.cf/Styrolution/status/186… - Dairy pot with 30% mechanically rPS content wins @dviVerpackung award: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Trinseo's rPS FCM: lnkd.in/eYmqcsqT - Safety of rPS FCM (with further references): xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Belgian stakeholders realise closed-loop recycling of (X)PS: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… #Recycling #circulareconomy

Belgium increases plastic packaging recycling, while keeping fee for #PS packaging competitive: @EU_Eurostat, the European Statistical Office, has reported the official plastic packaging recycling rates in 2023 (apart from three Member States, whose data is from 2022). Belgium recorded the highest recycling rate at 59.5%, a further increase from 54% in 2022. Each person in the EU on average generated 35.3 kg of plastic packaging waste, 1 kg less than in 2022. Overall, 42.1% of all the plastic packaging waste generated in the EU was recycled, a slight increase from 41% in 2022, and increasing in the long-term compared with 2013 (38.2%). Methodological changes in 2020, including a harmonised calculation point for recycling and stricter accounting of composite packaging material fractions, led to a statistical decrease of 3.4% in the recycling rate for the EU in 2020. That calculation point is where plastic does not undergo further processing before entering pelletisation, extrusion, or moulding operations, or in the case of flakes, before their use in a final product. In Belgium, household packaging producer responsibility organisation (PRO) @fostplusfr has significantly increased the recycling of plastic packaging waste since extending the separate collection to virtually all household packaging, including common PS formats, by the end of 2021. One month ago, @IndaverBE inaugurated an additional innovative recycling plant that will depolymerise PS packaging waste to 'virgin-like' monomer at industrial scale. Despite such investments, Fost Plus' EPR fee for PS and XPS packaging will be just over €1/kg (€1.0007/kg), compared with e.g. €1.0161/kg for rigid PP and €1.1546-€1.1931/kg for non-bottle PET. The PRO reviews its fees yearly based on anticipated quantities, real costs and revenues for each category. This shows that PS packaging recycling is economical. Furthermore, many of the countries that still reported relatively low plastic packaging recycling rates to the EU have been making much needed investments in increasing the collection and/or sorting of household packaging waste, including PS, for recycling more recently. This includes France, Austria, Sweden and Finland, as well as the PROs @citeofrance, ARA, Svensk Plaståtervinning and Sumi Oy and others there. - Eurostat's original post: xitter.cf/EU_Eurostat/status/198… - Belgian packaging recycling rate increases further; about half of #polystyrene already recycled, with more recycling capacity imminent: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - Indaver inaugurates recycling plant: xitter.cf/IndaverBE/status/18410… - Fost Plus' 2026 fees: fostplus.be/en/blog/everythi… - Areas of growth in circular PS – sorting capacity (with further references): xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status…

Brussels wants to improve the collection of commercial packaging, such as #EPS: @VilleBruxelles , regional public waste organisation Bruxelles Propreté and regional authority Bruxelles Environnement have launched a series of awareness-raising campaigns as well as checks of catering businesses, restaurants and shops, Flemish public broadcaster @VRT reports. Such businesses in the Brussels-Capital Region are obliged to conclude a commercial waste collection contract to avoid that shopping streets end up full of garbage bags. However, in one survey, 70% of retailers admitted that they do not have such a contract at all. In addition, other traders have insufficient contracts. They discard most of their commercial waste in household waste bags. A recent inspection of 2000 bags discarded in shopping streets on one day found that 470 of them contained waste from traders. Bruxelles-Propreté will offer the awareness-raising and enforcement model also to other municipalities, according to the news item. In the picture provided by Bruxelles-Propreté, EPS packaging is visible next to piles of white mixed household waste bags. Unfortunately, this is a regular sight in Brussels. Restaurants and shops get fish, produce and other food in efficiently insulating EPS boxes, avoiding food waste. The waste holders often seem to have the right feeling that they are discarding a valuable and highly recyclable material, and try to keep the EPS separate when they ‘dump’ it at the kerbside. However, as with any other waste, avoiding litter and recycling start with proper collection arrangements being available and responsibly discarding of the material. This is already successfully practiced across Europe and beyond, where in particular EPS commercial transport packaging is separately collected, sometimes even compacted on the spot, and recycled. On the other hand, EPS household packaging waste is separately collected at collection points/centres in Belgium. To maximise also its recycling, Belgian household packaging producer responsibility organisation (PRO) @FostPlusfr has been working on “new or adapted collection scenarios” and streamlining the collection at recycling centres. - VRT news item: vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/10/21/… - UN Environment Programme recognises that EPS transport packaging is recycled in practice and at scale: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… - French environment agency ADEME confirms that EPS commercial packaging recycling is highly efficient: xitter.cf/SCS4Circularity/status… Image: Bruxelles-Propreté #recycling #polystyrene #circulareconomy