Total, Intraplás, and Yoplait demonstrate feasibility of incorporating recycled polystyrene into yogurt pots

Total, Intraplás, and Yoplait announced today that they have successfully run a pilot test aiming at using certified chemically recycled polystyrene in yogurt pots. This is the first step of a collaborative initiative aiming at testing the use of chemically recycled polystyrene in yogurt pots, supporting the development of sustainable PS recycling in France.

This test led by Total in partnership with Intraplás, expert in the extrusion of plastic sheets for the food industry, and Yoplait, key player of the yogurt sector, is an important achievement in establishing chemical recycling as a valid route for polystyrene recycling in France.

Total is leveraging its industrial expertise to process feedstock derived from post-consumer mixed plastic waste, which is otherwise hard to recycle via existing recycling channels. By converting this secondary raw material in its steam cracker in Antwerp, covered by ISCC Plus certification, Total is able to produce certified chemically recycled polystyrene. The produced certified circular rPS has the benefits of exhibiting virgin-like performance, thus enabling its incorporation in high-end applications, including food-grade packaging. This was demonstrated by Intraplás, which successfully transformed Total’s certified circular rPS into dairy sheets, and finally, by Yoplait, in yogurt pots. This is an important achievement in establishing chemical recycling as a valid route for polystyrene recycling and close the loop in dairy applications.

“This project is a great illustration of innovation and collaboration with Intraplás and Yoplait, which demonstrates our common commitment to make polystyrene circular for food-grade packaging. This marks a further milestone in addressing the challenge of the circular economy and achieving Total’s ambition of producing 30% recycled polymers by 2030,” said Valérie Goff, senior vice president, Polymers at Total.

This follows the announcement that Total will be constructing France’s first chemical recycling plant on its future zero-crude platform in Grandpuits with Plastic Energy.

“We understand innovation as a strategic factor for sustainable development and involvement of the parties. In this way, we are very proud and satisfied for having managed to join the value chain of the food sector, in this specific project, which promotes the circular economy of polystyrene food packaging, guaranteeing the total safety of consumers, “said Anabela Ferreira, co-owner and executive member of Intraplás.

“We are glad to support this collective initiative as it demonstrates our ability to use certified circular rPS to produce yogurt pots. It is an important milestone in our journey to engage the value chain in creating a circular economy for polystyrene in France, and for our roadmap targeting 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025”, said Frédéric Chapuis, Sustainable Packaging Strategy manager at Yoplait.

Total is a broad energy company that produces and markets fuels, natural gas, and electricity. Its 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is affordable, reliable, cleaner, and accessible to as many people as possible.

Intraplás is a plastic converter company founded in 1968 in Portugal, with a solid know-how in extrusion, thermoforming, and printing. It is a packaging solutions provider that offers products mainly for the food industry, being active in more than 30 countries. It is totally committed to contribute to the sustainability and circular economy of packaging industry.

Since its birth in 1965, the “Little Flower brand” has brought pleasure moments in every day’s life of children and adults. Yoplait is said to be the second world’s largest brand of fresh dairy products and is now flourishing in more than 50 countries. And it is in France, the land of its roots, that the brand continues to cultivate its know-how and innovate by making new products with 100% French milk in its three factories located in Le Mans(72), Vienna (38), and Monéteau (89).