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Pyrowave grant helps 1 million more North Americans recycle polystyrene

Canada – Pyrowave has received a US$ 50 000 grant from America’s Foam Recycling Coalition to purchase equipment to allow for in-house processing of recycled polystyrene. The Montreal-based company is a pioneer in catalytic microwave depolymerisation of plastics, and its technology makes it possible to break down polystyrene waste into a styrene oil with yield of approximately 95%.

Pyrowave can process up to three tons of post-consumer polystyrene material every day, for example cups and food containers. This represents an average capacity of 800 tons per year. Pyrowave has announced plans to install additional systems in other parts of North America besides Montreal.

According to the Foam Recycling Coalition, Pyrowave is the eighth grant recipient. Nearly 1 million additional residents in the US and Canada can recycle foam as a result of the funding.

‘Our initial polystyrene supply is mostly densified because not many jurisdictions know it can be recycled, so we have to source material from far locations until the movement is engaged,’ said Jocelyn Doucet, ceo of Pyrowave. ‘With the support of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, we will have the ability to shred the densified material from our partners and reduce our costs of operation at our demonstration facility,’ Doucet comments.

This will result in more collection programmes being implemented, in turn leading to increase demand for Pyrowave’s equipment by local recyclers.

This year, Pyrowave was listed in the top 20 of the Canadian Innovation Exchange.

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