The project is being led by Syndifrais (French Union of Fresh Dairy Product Manufacturers) in collaboration with Valorplast (experts in the recycling of household plastic packing).
The aim of RECYQUALIPSO is to improve the recyclability of plastic packaging, to advance in the integration of recycled materials in packaging, to develop more sustainable alternative solutions, and to modernize waste sorting centers and recycling plants.
As polystyrene is one of the main resins used in dairy product packaging, the aim of RECYQUALIPSO is to contribute to the development of polystyrene recycling in France by optimizing the quality of the recycled material of yogurt pots for new applications like extrusion sheet for containers or food-contact packaging applications and developing more efficient recycling technologies (new sorting stages, optimization of washing conditions, etc.).
One of several participants, COEXPAN is involved as a member of Syndifrais, and performs a role at the end of the value chain, by extruding recovered material for its subsequent thermoforming into containers and packaging.
Based on various economic, technical and environmental analyses that take into consideration different recovery scenarios (mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, or new technologies, etc.) the optimal treatment will be defined to develop it on an industrial scale.
Another initiative associated with circularity the company is involved in, the EPS SURE Life Project, is subsidized by the European Commission and aimed at designing an innovative system for the collection, pre-treatment and recycling of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste to produce new polystyrene packaging suitable for food contact.
COEXPAN also recently announced its participation in the Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS) association, whose goal is to increase the circularity of styrenes. The initiative involves the whole of the value chain in the development and industrialization of new recycling technologies and solutions.
Through its innovation and development centre INNOTECH (COEXPAN-EMSUR), work is under way on tests for extruding recovered PS chips, which the company says has yielded positive preliminary results.