Polystyvert Inc. (Montreal, Queb., Canada) announces the construction of its first full-scale commercial plant to produce recycled polystyrene in Greater Montreal.
Representing an investment of $40 million, this plant will recycle 9,000 tons of post-consumer and post-industrial polystyrene waste annually, with a high degree of contamination. This amount is equivalent to 15% of the polystyrene buried in Quebec each year.
Among the partners, it is important to note the participation of two blue-chip partners in the polystyrene industry who will contribute to the financing of the plant. The supply of raw materials is ensured, as well as the sale of recycled polystyrene.
Polystyvert’s patented technology addresses an essential need in waste management, namely the ability to recycle a material that was once considered difficult to recycle. Thanks to advanced purification, it is now possible to remove contaminants and produce high-quality plastic. This recycled plastic exhibits identical physical and chemical characteristics to virgin resin, while also allowing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 90%.
The recycled resin can be used to manufacture products intended for the same applications as virgin resin. In line with Quebec’s and Canada’s economic and environmental objectives, this transformative project benefits from the support of both levels of government.
“We are extremely proud to reach this crucial moment in Polystyvert’s history. After several successful development phases, our technology has reached maturity. We can now recycle contaminated waste with no other outlet than landfill sites. This plant is the first of many that can be built worldwide by replicating what will be done in Greater Montreal, thereby multiplying the economic and environmental benefits of the project,” commented Nathalie Morin, President of Polystyvert.
This plant will accelerate the growth of the company, whose business model revolves around selling licenses for Polystyvert’s proprietary technology. As a result, the economic and environmental impacts of this first plant will be significant and far exceed the initial investment. This project will showcase Quebec and Canada on a global scale, demonstrating their leadership in the adoption and implementation of clean technologies.
“The full-scale plant we are announcing today marks the initiation of our technology’s global commercialization through licensing, a strategic move that will exponentially multiply the economic benefits of our project. We are already witnessing significant interest from key industry players eager to acquire licenses, paving the way for rapid company growth through the cloning of our first full-scale plant, said Morin.
In addition to its full-scale polystyrene recycling plant, Polystyvert is proud to announce the establishment of a new pilot plant at its research and development center located in the east of Montreal. The company has expanded its process and intellectual property to another styrenic plastic, ABS. This thermoplastic polymer is widely used in the automotive, electronics, and toy industries.
With the financial support of a renowned global partner, Polystyvert has completed the initial stages of adapting its technology. The company is commencing the construction of a $3 million pilot plant, which will be a significant step toward large-scale recycling of this plastic.