INEOS Styrolution has rolled out new sour cream cups made with 30% recycled polystyrene, which are now available in ALDI SÜD stores across Germany.
INEOS Styrolution, a global leader in styrenics, is making good on its promise of a circular economy by expanding the availability of its food-grade recycled polystyrene for dairy packaging. In a landmark collaboration with ALDI SÜD and Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller, the company has launched sour cream cups containing 30% recycled polystyrene, which have been on sale in ALDI SÜD stores throughout Germany since the beginning of the year.
This is not INEOS Styrolution's first foray into recycled food packaging. The company previously collaborated with another leading German retailer to roll out yogurt cups made with mechanically recycled polystyrene, a process that achieves a high level of purity, comparable to that of recycled PET bottle materials. This repeated success reinforces INEOS Styrolution's position as a frontrunner in the industry's shift toward decarbonizing packaging and embracing circularity. The company's President EMEA, Rob Buntinx, stated, "We're proving that circular solutions can meet both food safety standards and performance demands. We're calling on the entire value chain to join us in making circularity the new normal."
The timing of this commercial rollout is particularly significant as the European packaging industry prepares for the implementation of stricter regulations under the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The PPWR aims to reduce packaging waste by at least 15% by 2040 and sets mandatory minimum recycled content targets for plastic packaging. In a proactive move, INEOS Styrolution has already submitted a formal application to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for its novel recycling technology, underscoring its commitment to regulatory compliance and innovation in a rapidly evolving market.
The move to incorporate recycled content into mainstream food packaging is part of a broader, industry-wide shift. Traditional single-use plastics are being phased out in favor of more sustainable, scalable solutions. Polystyrene, with its unique properties, is a promising material for this transition. It has been shown to be one of the best-sortable plastics in the waste stream and, through advanced mechanical recycling processes, can achieve the high purity required for food-contact applications.
INEOS Styrolution’s ongoing efforts, which include multiple food-grade applications already on the market and more in the pipeline, are helping to drive a fundamental shift in the packaging sector. The company's success demonstrates that it is not only possible but also economically viable to create a closed-loop system for plastics, moving from a linear "take-make-dispose" model to a truly circular economy.
