Plastics have become indispensable in our everyday lives, but their use also leads to massive environmental pollution. A promising solution to mitigate these effects is mechanical recycling. Our exchange starts right here: Since 2020, stakeholders along the entire value chain have been committed to a closed loop for polystyrene (PS) food packaging. At the round table «Closing the loop for PS Switzerland» (which we have been leading since 2021), many topics have already been discussed, activities planned, and challenges jointly addressed. As of autumn 2024, we have now transferred the format into a cycleworks – our format for active collaboration. Since the round table on polystyrene is a prototype of this stakeholder collaboration, nothing will change in the format.
PS is the focus of this working group because the material meets the basic requirements for closing the loop. For example, PS shows a similarly low diffusion capacity as PET and therefore hardly absorbs any pollutants. In addition, PS is primarily used for dairy products such as yogurts in the field of food packaging, which facilitates the identification of food contact materials. The promotion of this «food-to-food» recycling is an essential step towards a sustainable circular economy, because secondary raw materials, i.e. recycled materials, play a central role for environmentally friendly packaging. In other European countries, there are already binding quotas for the use of such materials, also in the food sector.
In theory, the concept of this «food-to-food» recycling is good, but its implementation brings various challenges. In order to solve these complex questions, the cooperation of all participants along the value chain is decisive. That's why we discuss central questions within the cycleworks such as:
- How can the quality of recycled polystyrene be guaranteed?
- How can migration of contaminants into food be prevented?
- What level of sorting purity of food material must be achieved so that the recyclate can be used in contact with food again?
Thanks to the scientific work on PS, the preparatory work in Switzerland and the networking of stakeholders along the value chain (producers, distributors, retailers, sorters and collectors), an application for the use of polystyrene recyclate (rPS) in food contact materials was submitted to the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV) in February 2024. This work takes place in the project «Approval of recycled polystyrene (rPS) in food contact applications» , which is closely linked to the cycleworks.
Would you like to join the discussion, actively shape the future of polystyrene, or do you have any questions? Get in touch withus!