Trinseo Collaborates With COEXPAN to Validate Polystyrene Recycling Technologies for Use in the Dairy Industry for Form Fill Seal (FFS) Market at INNOTECH

BERWYN, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$TSE #Materials—Trinseo (NYSE: TSE), the global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber, announced today that Trinseo and COEXPAN, a global leader in sheet extrusion for FFS dairy markets in Europe, CIS and America, will collaborate to validate various polystyrene recycling technologies to develop polystyrene containing recycled content that is fit for use in the global dairy industry’s form fill seal (“FFS”) market. With materials and input supplied by Trinseo, COEXPAN will be testing recycled polystyrene across various technologies at its INNOTECH (COEXPAN&EMSUR Innovation Technology Center for Rigid and Flexible Packaging).

The dairy FFS packaging market, which has historically preferred the use of polystyrene due to its technical superiority over alternative polymers, has recently seen greater interest in alternative materials owing to misperceptions regarding the circularity and recyclability of polystyrene.

Trinseo and COEXPAN, jointly state: “r-PS is a game changer for the FFS market. Polystyrene offers a unique potential for not only closed loop recycling, but also a lower carbon footprint and extended lifecycle due to its simplicity and ease to fully recycle giving polystyrene a major competitive advantage vs all alternatives. Industrial volumes will come online by the third quarter 2022.”

Dinis Mota, CEO of COEXPAN, commented: “We are very pleased to have established this collaboration with Trinseo, which will allow us to demonstrate the viability of mechanical and chemical recycling processes for Polystyrene, a polymer with excellent properties in terms of efficiency and circularity in the food packaging market category. As a global leader in FFS and thermoforming packaging solutions, working with Trinseo in this regard reinforces our joint sustainability actions.

“COEXPAN is very excited about this collaboration. Having seen the crucial role plastic packaging has played this year in terms of food safety and hygiene, we view recycling and circularity as even more crucial. Our research center, INNOTECH, is constantly innovating with recycling and circularity in mind. We do not launch a product without first addressing circularity. This partnership provides a unique platform that reaffirms our goal of promoting and achieving a circular economy model.”

Nicolas Joly, Vice President Plastics and Feedstocks at Trinseo, added: “We are very excited about the collaboration of COEXPAN and Trinseo. This marks another major milestone on the way to seeing recycled Polystyrene products on shelves. The unique recycling opportunity that Polystyrene offers is now much more broadly recognized, and it is great to be able to collaborate with leaders along the value chain to further expand this recognition. Full circularity for Polystyrene is imminent, and Trinseo is passionately committed to this, but such partnerships are key to accelerating the transition to circular economy and contributing to the European Commission’s recycling goal.”

Trinseo’s full sustainability pledge in PS Recycling covers mechanical, dissolution and chemical technologies with a clear commitment to close the loop on PS recycling, namely:

• Announcing a first-of-its-kind polystyrene chemical recycling facility to be built in Europe;
• Planning to offer an average of 30% recycled content to customers for polystyrene packaging in Europe by 2025;
• Serving as a founding member of Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), a consortium that explores new methods for polystyrene recycling; and
• Partnering with the waste supply chain to help identify new ways to increase the volume and quantity of plastics disposed and recovered through waste separation.

About COEXPAN

First mover in extrusion with more than 45 years of experience in the industry, COEXPAN is the Grupo Lantero division that specializes in the manufacture of rigid plastic sheets and thermoformed products, offering global solutions for the packaging industry. COEXPAN has 13 production plants in 8 countries in Europe and America (Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Chile, Brazil and Mexico), specialized in rigid sheet solutions and thermoformed packaging in the main polymers (PS, PP, PET, PLA). For more information, see https://www.coexpan.com/.

About INNOTECH:

Located in Alcalá de Henares, (Madrid region), INNOTECH is the Center for Technological Innovation of COEXPAN and EMSUR. Inaugurated on July 4, 2019, INNOTECH is conceived to serve as a collaboration space where clients, suppliers, associations, public bodies and Universities, among others, cooperate on projects aimed at developing more efficient and sustainable packaging that contributes effectively to improving the environment. With more than 1,000 square meters and a large team of experts (R&D, Engineering, Marketing and Sales), the center has large multidisciplinary workspaces, as well as state-of-the-art technology. Within the portfolio of solutions and services that INNOTECH offers, the following stand out: packaging consulting and advice, industrial trials and testing of materials, exclusive training and educational services, as well as laboratory analysis. For more information, see www.coexpan-emsur.com/innotech.

About Trinseo

Trinseo (NYSE: TSE) is a global supplier of material solutions, and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber. By providing innovative and sustainable solutions, we support our customers in developing products that have an impact on our lives every day. Products that are inseparably linked to today’s lifestyle. Trinseo’s broad range of market segments includes automotive, consumer electronics and household appliances, medical technology, lighting, electronics, carpets, paper and board, construction and tire manufacturing. In 2019, Trinseo reported sales of USD 3.8 billion, had 17 manufacturing facilities worldwide and approximately 2,700 employees. For more information, see www.trinseo.com.

Note on Forward-Looking Statements

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Contacts

Press Contact:
Trinseo

Mandy Markert

Tel: + 41 44 718 3635

Email: mmmarkert@trinseo.com

COEXPAN

Cayetano Martínez

Tel: +34 606 623 314

Email: cayetano.martinez@coexpan-emsur.com