Polystyrene Recycling: AmSty and Agilyx Open a New Plant in the USA

Polystyrene from the food sector , a controversial product depending on who looks at it and judges it, is opposed in some countries and sought after in others.

In the United States, the collaboration between the two brands AmSry and Agilyx , the former a producer of styrene while the latter is a recycler, has led to the creation of a new polystyrene recycling plant.

In fact, AmSty, the joint venture of Chevron Phillips Chemical and Trinseo, specialized in the production of styrene and polystyrene, has signed a new agreement with Agilyx, a pioneer in chemical or advanced recycling of plastic materials, to develop a second production plant.

The unit will be built at AmSty's styrene production site in Saint James, Louisiana , and will have a processing capacity of 50 to 100 tons per day.

Like Regenyx, the first joint venture founded by the two partners in 2019 at the Agilyx headquarters in Tigard (Oregon), with a capacity of 10 tons per day, will use Agilyx technology, which transforms rigid and expanded polystyrene waste into styrene monomer , of equivalent quality to that of virgin.

“A feasibility study for the project is underway, and the construction and commissioning schedule will be announced as progress is made,” the two companies said in a statement.

The resources would be allocated through Cyclyx, Agilyx's commodity management subsidiary, in which AmSty is a shareholder.

“Polystyrene is an ideal material for the future of recycling,” says Randy Pogue, CEO of AmSty.

Not only can polystyrene products offer durability benefits while requiring less material, but polystyrene is particularly advantageous for advanced recycling, as it can be "decompressed " into its original liquid form, styrene monomer, using 40% less energy compared to other polymers. "

Category: news - plastic - circular economy - waste - polystyrene - recycling

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