Technological watch

EU provides funding for sustainable ABS project

A sustainable ABS project involving Ineos Styrolution and waste management firm Indaver has received funding from the European Union.

The project, titled LIFE ABSolutely Circular, will be funded by the EU LIFE program and will include lab-scale ABS recycling. Ineos Styrolution said in a news release there are plans to upscale to a demonstration plant, then move to commercial production.

The demonstration project will be located in Antwerp, Belgium.

"Together with our project partners we share the vision to turn plastic waste into valuable resources," Technical R&D Project Lead Bart van der Zee said in a news release. "I invite technology providers to join us on our mission."

Van der Zee added that Ineos Styrolution is open for additional partners on the project.

EU LIFE is the EU's funding instrument for environment and resource efficiency. The project will last four years and will demonstrate the production of ABS based on recycled feedstock, officials said.

A key objective of the project is to demonstrate for the first time ABS production based on recycled feedstock using advanced recycling technologies, officials said.

ABS resins are used in a broad range of applications including automotive, healthcare, electronics, household, and toys/sports/leisure. Ineos Styrolution EMEA President Alexander Glück said that his firm "believes there is intrinsic value in plastics products after usage."

"We share the vision with Indaver to turn plastic waste into valuable resources instead of letting it end up in landfills," he added.

Indaver CEO Paul De Bruycker said that his firm "is looking forward to develop a demo plant and an upscaling plan to achieve the objectives of this project."

"We are thrilled to work on a solution that allows us to take advantage of the amazing properties of styrenics while eliminating the impact on the environment and on future generations," he added.

Frankfurt-based Ineos Styrolution is a global leader in styrenic materials. The firm employs 3,600 and posted sales of around $6 billion in 2019.

Belgium-based Indaver operates waste and recycling plants in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The firm employs 1,700 and posted sales of around $700 million in 2019.

Publication date: 21/01/2021

Plastics News - packaging

This project has been co-funded with the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union [LIFE17 ENV/ES/000438] Life programme

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Last update: 2022-01-31