Can this process transform polystyrene recycling?

The tech enables new products to be made that are like-virgin-quality

Spotted: Over five billion pounds of styrofoam (a trademarked name for expanded polystyrene foam) end up in landfills and waterways every year and a key reason for that is because polystyrene, historically, has been tricky to recycle. Canadian company Polystyvert wants to change that.

“Our values are to offer solutions that are sustainable AND economical,” Virginie Bussières, Polystyvert VP of External Affairs and Partnerships, told Springwise. The Montréal-based startup has developed an innovative system to recycle any type of polystyrene, whether that’s extruded, expanded, or injection moulded. Polystyert’s patented dissolution and purification process removes most contaminants from plastic waste, such as inks, oils, paint, odours, and flame retardants, so that the recycled end products have the quality of virgin plastics.

The multi-step process begins by placing the waste polystyrene to dissolve it. Then, the polystyrene-solvent mixture is purified and filtered using mesh to remove larger contaminants. Next, polystyrene is separated from the mixture and formed into pellets so that it may be remanufactured into new products. To keep the process circular, Polystyvert also reuses the solvent.

With increasingly stringent regulations surrounding the handling of plastic waste, Polystyvert claims to offer the shortest recycling loop available. Plus, the process can be tailored depending on the use case. For instance, using Polystyvert’s technology, a bike helmet manufacturer increased the proportion of reused materials in each new helmet from 30 to 100 per cent while keeping the original carbon black, so did not have to compromise on the quality or safety of the final product.

Polystyvert recently raised C$16 million as part of a series B funding round, with investors including Infinity Recycling, SWEN Blue Ocean, and Earth Foundry. A second tranche is expected to boost total round funding up to as much as C$30 million. This money will help to accelerate the work on Polystyvert’s first full-scale commercial plant in Montreal, which is due to be operational by 2026. The company is also developing technology to recycle ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), a plastic used in the automotive industry, for toys, and electronics.

Written By: Duncan Whitmore and Matilda Cox