Indaver, Ineos Styrolution Partner to Close Loop on ABS

Indaver, which manages and treats industrial and household waste at plants throughout Europe, and global styrenics supplier Ineos Styrolution have partnered to demonstrate the production of ABS from recycled feedstock. The LIFE ABSolutely Circular project aims to show the environmental and economic benefits of using advanced recycling technologies to close the loop of plastic recycling.

The project is funded by the EU LIFE program, the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and resource efficiency. An initial key objective of the four-year project is to produce ABS from recycled feedstock for the first time by taking advantage of advanced recycling technologies. The partners also plan to demonstrate that the process can be scaled from lab quantities to a demo plant and ultimately to commercialization.

The ABS copolymer is used in a range of applications in many industries including automotive, healthcare, electronics, household, and toys/sports/leisure. The material significantly contributes to societal well-being with a well-balanced mix of properties. It is robust, dimensionally stable, lightweight, and has an aesthetic surface appearance. ABS is also compliant with food-contact regulations and is easy to process.

“We are looking forward to developing a demo plant and an upscaling plan to achieve the objectives of this project,” said Paul De Bruycker, CEO at Indaver. “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 future generations.”

Dr. Alexander Glück, President EMEA at Ineos Styrolution also commented: “We are excited about this project as we believe there is intrinsic value in plastic products after usage. We share the vision with Indaver to turn plastic waste into valuable resources instead of letting it end up in landfills.”