Indaver Delivers First Batch of Chemically Recycled Polystyrene (PS)

On September 29, it was learned that Indaver has launched production at its chemical recycling plant in Antwerp, Belgium. This Belgian waste management company delivered its first batch of recycled polystyrene this week.

After two years of construction, the Plastics2Chemicals factory was completed in October 2024, and it officially began production a year later. This pyrolysis facility has an annual capacity to process 26,000 tons of plastic waste, including post-consumer polystyrene and polyolefins.

Indaver pre-treats polystyrene waste from packaging such as yogurt cups and meat trays at its plant in Willebroek, approximately 25 kilometers south of Antwerp. The pre-treated waste is then depolymerized into styrene monomer at the Plastics2Chemicals facility. Sulzer Chemtech supplies the equipment for recovering and purifying the monomer.

Ineos Styrolution's production site in Antwerp is the first company to receive recycled styrene monomers produced by Indaver.

The newly built plant can currently process polystyrene and polyolefins in batches on the same production line. In the future, Indaver plans to expand and put into operation separate production lines for processing polyolefins and polystyrene.

Karl Huts, the CEO of Indaver, stated: "Through the Plastics2Chemicals project, we have successfully transformed waste into high-value raw materials. This achievement is the result of a combination of innovation, vision, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and expertise. I am particularly proud of our team—it is their professional competence and unwavering determination that have made this sustainable solution possible. This demonstrates that we are fully capable of making a tangible change for the circular economy."

In 2017, Indaver began collaborating with Ghent University, the University of Antwerp, and KU Leuven, after which the plant gradually started operations. The project team conducted step-by-step validation of the recycling process, focusing on technical stability, thorough purification, safety, and scalability.

The total investment of the project amounts to 105 million euros, including an investment of 75 million euros in the Antwerp plant facilities and 30 million euros in the Willebroek pre-treatment base.

Indaver has received €7.5 million in funding support from Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Vlaio), as well as €3 million in support from the Flemish recycling hub.

On September 25, Flemish Environment and Agriculture Minister Jo Brouns attended the official launch ceremony of the Plastics2Chemicals plant.

Minister Brouns stated, "This factory fully demonstrates how the Flanders region contributes to achieving European goals and transitioning to a circular economy through reliable innovation. By recovering high-value materials from waste, we can not only enhance strategic autonomy but also build a sustainable future for industry and society. This also indicates that there is room for development of the most advanced chemical recycling investment projects in the Flanders region and throughout Europe."