Total focus on large-scale polystyrene recycling

Canada: French oil firm Total has joined forces with Canadian clean technology startup Polystyvert in a bid to maximise the purification of household post-consumer polystyrene.

Polystyvert’s innovative technology and Total’s know-how in industrial-scale dissolution and polymerisation technologies will be combined to produce high-quality recyclates catering to a ‘broad range’ of polystyrene market requirements.

Ultimately, the partners want to target any type of polystyrene stream.

‘Collaborating with Total on polystyrene household waste will accelerate the industrial development of our technology for global markets and demonstrate its suitability to address any type of polystyrene stream,’ comments Polystyvert’s ceo Solenne Brouard.

‘In 2017, we performed three successful test runs with post-consumer recyclates incorporated in virgin polymer via dissolution and polymerisation,’ remarks Jean Viallefont, vice president of Total’s Polymers Europe business unit. ‘Working with Polystyvert to tackle household post-consumer waste is the next logical step for us.’ Around 15 million tonnes of polystyrene are produced worldwide every year.