Total and Intraplás pilot converts recycled polystyrene into yogurt pots
11 Dec 2020 --- A collaboration between Total, Intraplás and Yoplait is piloting manufacturing yogurt pots from recycled polystyrene (PS). The trio says the development is an important step in finding a valid route for wasted PS in France.
Total is chemically processing PS feedstock derived from post-consumer mixed plastic waste, which is difficult to recycle via existing channels.
Intraplás then converts the recycled PS (rPS) into dairy sheets, from which Yoplait can create yogurt pots.
Ana Carneiro, COO and sustainability responsable at Intraplás, talks to PackagingInsights about the project and its potential in driving a circular economy in France.
“With the pilot test, we wanted to demonstrate the possibility of using recycled PS in the production of high-end food applications, such as yogurt cups. The results show, that not only the behavior of recycled PS is technically similar to the virgin PS, but also that it is adequate for extrusion sheet and thermoforming cups processes.”
Intraplás converted recycled PS into dairy sheets that Yoplait intends to use as yogurt pots.Carneiro says the pilot proved the economic and technical simplicity of the idea.
“During the extrusion sheet process and thermoforming process, we did not identify any technical challenges or difficulties. This is directly related to the way that the recycling process is done.”
“We can also conclude that no new investments are required,” she adds.
Harnessing polystyrene throughout industry
Intraplás is pushing the achievement as an example of the potential chemical recycling processes have in driving a circular economy.
“With this project, we want to demonstrate there is an opportunity for chemically recycled PS in the food market. We believe that by collecting and sorting polystyrene early, big amounts of PS can be properly recycled,” says Carneiro.
The company is also emphasizing the importance of industry-wide collaboration in collecting recyclable PS and understands that no extra investments need to be made. With this, making the conversion of PS feasible en mass will be possible.
“For the success of circularity in this field, it is necessary to have a strong commitment from all stakeholders. All players in the value chain should be willing to have and use rPS,” she continues.
“With that, neither converters nor brand owners will have to invest in equipment. Released Capex that could be assigned in product innovation.”
Polystyrene yogurt pots 
The collaboration is urging proper collection of wasted polystyrene for recycling.Yoplait welcomes the project and its potential to propel the company’s environmental sustainability targets.
“Yoplait and General Mills committed two years ago to reach 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2025 in Europe. We have been working to implement new recyclable packaging solutions for our brands,” explains Anatole Fahault, a spokesperson for Yoplait.
“Regarding the yogurt pots made from PS, we have started discussions with all the value chain stakeholders. Recently Citeo, a French extended producer responsibility (EPR) organization, launched a collective initiative, called Consortium PS25, that aims to assess the feasibility of developing a PS recycling channel in France.”
“Yoplait is a founding member and actively contributes to the ongoing works and discussions. In this context, Yoplait contributes to collective initiatives aiming at creating a circular economy for PS in France,” he concludes.
Polystyrene’s potential
The collaboration’s findings follow similar efforts by Swiss company Greiner Packaging, which this year also created a yogurt cup from recycled polystyrene.
This year, industry tests showed that wasted PS can be converted into food-grade packaging material.
Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), a value chain initiative for increasing the circularity of styrenic polymers, successfully demonstrated that PS can also be mechanically recycled for food packaging.
By Louis Gore-Langton
