Trinseo, GMP to construct PS recycling plant in the Netherlands

Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider based in Switzerland, and GMP Group, a circular business innovations company in the Netherlands, say they plan to build a recycling plant in the Netherlands that will produce recycled food-contact polystyrene (PS). The companies anticipate the facility to begin operations in 2024. A long-term tolling and off-take agreement also is expected to be enacted.

According to a news release from Trinseo, GMP will construct and operate an advanced pretreatment or regeneration plant with a minimum capacity of 25,000 metric tons per year. Trinseo says the plant will purify PS scrap and deliver what it calls “high-quality recycled PS pellets” via a recycling process.

Gerard Putman, general director of GMP Group, says the new facility “will increase the reuse of a substantial volume of polystyrene in consumer food packaging.”

He adds, “Furthermore, we can provide other sustainability solutions and improve circularity in various value chains.”

Trinseo says the two companies plan to conduct research into other supply and processing opportunities by using their combined technology expertise to help develop more sustainable solutions.

“The Trinseo-GMP collaboration is yet another important move toward helping our customers reach their sustainability goals and closing the loop for a circular economy, and both companies realize that the most successful way to do this is through synergy along the value chain,” says Nicolas Joly, Trinseo senior vice president of Plastics and Feedstocks. “This collaboration shows our continuous efforts in sustainability marching toward our 2030 sustainability goals.”