We take pride in developing styrene monomer and polystyrene resins that not only are versatile and recyclable but also offer life-enhancing benefits – from materials in our homes, cars and offices to appliances, food packaging and hobby materials. These are just a few of the countless ways styrene and polystyrene sustainably and safely enable us to live each day to the fullest.
It’s our belief that they 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. As an early pioneer in circularity, we are proud of our leadership in developing solutions that keep materials out of landfills and the environment.
We 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. In addition, circular styrene can be developed with feedstock from advanced recycling, bio-circular and other sources.
Our long-term vision is that materials should never be landfilled but reclaimed, reprocessed and reused again and again.
Learn more in our Sustainability Report.
Our Sustainability Beliefs
Circular Recycling
Solving the recycling challenge means creating alternative uses for products that would end up in landfills.
PolyRenew® Polystyrene
Circular recycling technology takes post-use polystyrene products and puts them back in circulation as new products. AmSty was the first U.S. company to partner with ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) to apply the organization's third-party certification system to recycled plastics in the U.S. Considered the gold standard for sustainable chemicals and plastics accreditation, ISCC PLUS is an internationally recognized certification process for circular and sustainable content that audits the supply chain from end to end. Today, all AmSty plants are ISCC PLUS certified.
ISCC PLUS-certified PolyRenew® Polystyrene allows recycled content to be part of the manufacturing process for items like carryout food containers and meat trays that require FDA non-object compliance, while preserving the same performance as virgin material. AmSty is proud to be the leading U.S. producer of certified recycled polystyrene.
Creating essential, sustainable materials as leaders in Styrenics.
PolyRenew® Styrene
Styrene monomer is a key ingredient for many products that touch our daily lives. AmSty is proud to offer ISCC PLUS-certified PolyRenew® Styrene, made with sustainable feedstock from advanced recycling, bio-circular and other sources.
An ISCC PLUS-certified company that purchases AmSty's PolyRenew® Styrene for the production of rubber destined for tires, for example, can represent that the tires are made with a percentage of recycled styrene on a mass balance basis that is third-party validated.
In The Loop
At AmSty, we’re committed to innovative solutions and we’re well on our way. We invite you to learn more about our 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.
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, including being a founding member of the Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA). PSRA brings together polystyrene (PS) industry and expandable polystyrene (EPS) industry stakeholders to create a roadmap and action steps to achieve "widely recyclable" status for polystyrene.
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
In 2019, 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.
