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Polystyrene is a versatile plastic that plays an important role in our everyday lives – from food packaging and medical supplies to bike helmets and refrigerators. It’s our belief that it should be produced in the most sustainable way to serve our customers and the public and to protect our planet.

That’s what drives us. We’re proud to be a leader in sustainability – having developed an innovative circular recycling process that breaks down polystyrene into its original material, which can then be used to make products with the same quality and durability as the original polystyrene.

Our long-term vision is that polystyrene products should never be landfilled but reclaimed, reprocessed and reused again and again. As part of that commitment, we’ve pledged to have 30 percent recycled content in all materials for food packaging products by 2030.

Our Sustainability Beliefs

The plastic recycling problem can be fixed
POLYSTYRENE PLASTIC IS ESSENTIAL.

Life-enhancing products are necessary for many uses: medical, food packaging, home goods, consumer safety – the list goes on. They should be made from the most sustainable and climate favorable material possible.

Simplify recycling - All plastics in one recycling bin
PLASTIC PRODUCERS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD RECYCLING INNOVATIONS.

We're committed to driving a rapid pace of change that results in plastic waste being repurposed into new plastic products. This includes expanding collection infrastructure to keep plastic waste out of the environment and landfills, coupled with new manufacturing capacity that converts plastic waste into sustainable, life-enhancing products.

Single-use items should be sustainable materials
Partnerships are imperative to achieve circularity.

A future where all plastics are recycled will require a shared vision, collaboration, and commitments from manufacturers, processors, packaging companies – and more broadly, cities and states – to make recycling simple so everyone can participate. We’re forging these relationships every day to advance plastics recycling.

Our Circular Recycling Process

Solving the plastics recycling challenge means creating alternative uses for products that would end up in landfills.

At AmSty, that’s why we’re forging ahead with an innovative circular recycling technology that takes used polystyrene products and returns them to the same product with their original quality and durability.

AmSty is proud to be the leading US producer of certified recycled polystyrene.

AmSty Circular Recycling Process for Plastics / Polystyrene

Our Commitment

All AmSty resin that goes into food packaging and foodservice products will be made from 30% recycled materials by 2030.

In The Loop

Plastics are an important part of our everyday lives – from food containers and packaging that keep us safe and healthy, to medical supplies, insulation and more – but they must be managed responsibly. The reality is our plastics recycling system isn’t working. At AmSty, we’re committed to innovative solutions, starting with polystyrene, and we’re well on our way. We invite you to learn more about our future plans, the technology we use, and our progress to ensure a circular economy for plastic.


In The Loop Blog
When Paula Cartwright was hired as Quality Coordinator / Lab Supervisor at AmSty's St. James, Louisiana, plant 25 years ago, she thought it would be a piece of cake. The Louisiana native, who earned her chemistry degree from Louisiana State Universit...
Product and Business
Sustainability
Contact: Jessica Michan, AmSty This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (346) 413-4570The Woodlands, Texas – March 18, 2025 – AmSty, one of the largest styrene producers in the Americas, announces the first sales of PolyRenew® certified recycled styrene were sold in calend...
Sustainability
Partnership Champions Circular Plastics Economy  THE WOODLANDS – Tuesday, Jan. 28 – AmSty announces today it is a founding member of the Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA), formed in partnership with the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTIC...
In The Loop Blog
By Tim BarnetteVice President - Polymers & Sustainability at AmSty The future for polystyrene has never been brighter as a collaborative, innovative movement is charting a new course for our industry. While polystyrene is an essential material th...
In The Loop Blog
At AmSty's St. James facility, Amir Anderson, Senior Manager of Production, has seen it all. Over his 20-year career, he's touched nearly every department, moving from technical roles to maintenance, reliability and operations. It's this hands-on jou...
In The Loop Blog
Sustainability is business as usual at AmSty, according to John Medico, Vice President of Feedstocks, Styrene and Supply Chain. AmSty is a leading producer of styrene monomer and polystyrene plastic. "It's a further extension of the values I've seen ...

America’s Change MakersSM Shines Spotlight on the People Behind the Progress 


At AmSty, we’re proud to tell the story of how we’re combining innovation and sustainability for a lower carbon future and circular economy for plastic – and more importantly the people behind the progress. That’s what America’s Change MakersSM from the American Chemistry Council is all about – showcasing the talents and dedication of people like AmSty’s Penny Williams and John Brownhill, engineers at our Allyn’s Point facility.  


America’s Change MakersSM is shining the spotlight on the engineers, scientists, designers, technicians and more who are behind the scenes revolutionizing the way plastics are made.  


PLASTIC RECYCLING IS REAL AND EXPANDING

Polystyrene plastic recycling is happening and gaining momentum as recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP reports that expanded polystyrene transport packaging – like seafood shipments to restaurants, cold packs sent to grocery stores and product packaging for furniture stores – is being recycled at scale in specific countries and regions. AmSty is working diligently to further expand recycling options in the U.S. and beyond for a more sustainable future.  


Grants Promote Foam Recycling Across North America

Environmentally conscious consumers have more ways to recycle foam polystyrene items like cups, egg cartons, foodservice containers and packaging materials thanks to grants from the Food Packaging Institute’s (FPI) Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC).   

AmSty is a proud member of FRC, which has awarded 34 grants totaling more than $1,570,000 since 2015, expanding post-consumer foam polystyrene recycling across North America. Nearly 15 million residents in the U.S. and Canada can now recycle foam polystyrene as a result of FRC grants. Six communities launched new programs in 2023 with others on board for 2024.  

The process to recycle foam is like that of other recyclables. In the case of foam products, a special compactor – called a densifier – may be used in the processing of the material. Foam products are over 90% air, so densifying it allows the material to be transported more cost-effectively. To give you an example, a 48-foot truckload of baled foam polystyrene weighs only around 16,000 pounds, whereas a truckload of densified foam polystyrene weighs 40,000 pounds.  

Are you ready to join millions of others recycling foam? Click here to find a location near you!  


Regenyx: Mission Accomplished

Five years ago, we set out to prove that we could keep polystyrene out of our landfills through advanced recycling. We are proud to have completed that five-year proof-of-concept pilot project with Regenyx, a joint venture between AmSty and Agilyx, which demonstrated that the technology to recycle used polystyrene works. Through this successful pilot project, used polystyrene foam was collected, broken down to its original molecular form, and transformed into millions of pounds of new resin pellets. From there, it was converted into brand new high-quality products like cups and food containers. With the Regenyx project complete, we're applying these learnings to future initiatives to make polystyrene recycling widely available.

In The Loop Blog
When Paula Cartwright was hired as Quality Coordinator / Lab Supervisor at AmSty's St. James, Louisiana, plant 25 years ago, she thought it would be a piece of cake. The Louisiana native, who earned her chemistry degree from Louisiana State Universit...
Product and Business
Sustainability
Contact: Jessica Michan, AmSty This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (346) 413-4570The Woodlands, Texas – March 18, 2025 – AmSty, one of the largest styrene producers in the Americas, announces the first sales of PolyRenew® certified recycled styrene were sold in calend...
Sustainability
Partnership Champions Circular Plastics Economy  THE WOODLANDS – Tuesday, Jan. 28 – AmSty announces today it is a founding member of the Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA), formed in partnership with the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTIC...

Sustainability Stories

To help raise awareness on these pivotal issues, we have cataloged some of the best and brightest articles on plastics recycling, waste management, and related topics. These posts represent what's at the heart of the matter, for us. Stay in the loop as we work towards the goal of solving the plastics waste problem.