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
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.
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.
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.
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.
