• Validation of recyclability of post-consumer polystyrene packaging
• Partnership supports drive towards a circular economy
• INEOS Styrolution to become the first manufacturer to join the consortium

Pyrowave, a pioneer in Catalytic Microwave Depolymerization of plastics, and INEOS Styrolution America LLC, the American subsidiary of the global leader in styrenics, announce a strategic partnership to support Pyrowave’s North American polystyrene recycling  project.

The objective of this project is to demonstrate the recyclability of post-consumer polystyrene packaging using Pyrowave’s innovative Catalytic Microwave Depolymerization (CMD) technology. This consortium project will be represented with various actors from the value chain of the polystyrene industry, and INEOS is the first manufacturer to join the consortium.

“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,” said Ricardo Cuetos, VP Standard Products, INEOS Styrolution America LLC. “Pyrowave’s North American project is a significant component in our efforts to recycle polystyrene taking advantage of innovative technologies,” he adds.

Pyrowave’s principal advantage is the modularity of its technology, which is intended to be installed and operated in existing sorting facilities, similar to other recycling equipment. Also, its unique microwave technology is the first of its kind at commercial scale and generates particular high yields of monomers with a very low energy consumption. Pyrowave spent three years exploring the technology on post-consumer polystyrene waste, and now, Pyrowave is operating a full scale machine in Montreal, Canada. Pyrowave’s next phase is to deploy units in the field and demonstrate its business model with a strong consortium of industry leaders, representing the value chain.

“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”, says Jocelyn Doucet, CEO of Pyrowave. “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,” adds Jocelyn Doucet.

ABOUT PYROWAVE
Pyrowave is the leader in Catalytic Microwave Depolymerization with its unique patented microwave technology that unzips plastics back into their initial constituents. Only 8% of plastics generated today are recycled - yet the costs to haul, store, sort and process plastics are enormous. Using patented Catalytic Microwave Depolymerization (CMD), Pyrowave places small, modular units directly onsite at recycling facilities and at producers of plastic waste. Pyrowave has one machine in operation producing the world’s first Recycled Styrene Monomer (RSM) from post-consumer polystyrene waste that is sold to large polymer companies. Pyrowave’s technology enhances the rate and the range of recyclable materials, reduce logistics costs and produce higher value end products from waste plastics – products such as recycled wax, oil and monomers. The Pyrowave technology is the result of 8 years of research and development and continuous support from various organizations including Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and Transition Énergétique Québec (TEQ). The company has recently received international awards including figuring on the 2017 Global Cleantech 100 Ones-to-Watch list produced by the Cleantech Group and was named Canada’s 2018 Clean50 in the resource Category.