The range of available recycling pathways is a central factor in determining how effectively materials can be integrated into a circular economy. Recent developments in dissolution-based recycling technologies for polystyrene (PS) suggest that additional options may be emerging—particularly for waste streams that have traditionally been difficult to recycle.
One example is the commercial-scale launch of recycled polystyrene (rPS) by the Canadian company UpSolv (formerly Polystyvert), based on a dissolution and purification process. While the announcement itself is company-specific, it reflects a broader technological development that may have system-level relevance.
Expanding the set of recyclable waste streams
Polystyrene recycling is well established in relatively clean and homogeneous streams, such as industrial offcuts or separately collected packaging. However, more complex waste streams—such as post-consumer materials, construction and demolition waste, or plastics collected via mixed systems—have historically posed challenges due to contamination and material heterogeneity.
Dissolution-based recycling aims to address this constraint by removing additives and impurities from the polymer.
As Virginie Bussières, Vice-President for External Relations and Partnerships at UpSolv, explains:
“Our technology is designed to handle complex, contaminated waste streams once they have been properly sorted. This includes materials such as renovation and demolition waste—like insulation panels—as well as post-consumer waste collected from ecocentres and curbside recycling programs.”
This is relevant because these streams are often underutilised in existing recycling systems.
System implications: complement rather than replacement
It is important to situate this type of technology within the broader recycling landscape.
Mechanical recycling remains the most established and resource-efficient route for clean and well-sorted EPS waste. The potential role of dissolution-based recycling is therefore not to replace existing systems, but to complement them—particularly where:
- Waste is contaminated or mixed
- Separation into pure fractions is not feasible or cost-effective
- Material performance requirements exceed what conventional recycling can deliver
From a system perspective, this suggests a layered approach to recycling, where different technologies address different parts of the waste hierarchy.
This aligns with how UpSolv frames its own role in the market. As CEO Nathalie Morin states:
“Sustainability and performance can no longer be treated as trade-offs. Circularity only works when recycled materials deliver the same reliability, consistency, and value as virgin resins.”
Relevance for different collection models
The significance of these technologies depends in part on how polystyrene is collected.
In some countries, EPS is primarily collected through dedicated streams such as drop-off points, take-back systems, or sorting centres. In these contexts, mechanical recycling is often sufficient for a large share of the material.
In other systems, however, EPS enters mixed plastic waste streams. In such cases, separation quality may be lower, and contamination levels higher. Under these conditions, advanced recycling technologies—such as dissolution and purification—may play a more relevant role.
Chresten Heide-Anderson, Director of NEPSA (Nordic EPS Alliance), frames it in a system perspective:
“We are likely to see a more differentiated collection landscape across Europe. Where EPS is collected in clean, dedicated streams, mechanical recycling remains the preferred route. But in systems where EPS enters mixed plastic waste, additional technologies can play an important role in recovering material that would otherwise be lost.”
Conditions and uncertainties
While the technical potential is evident, several conditions remain important for assessing the broader impact:
- Feedstock preparation: Even advanced processes require prior sorting and densification
- Scale and economics: Performance and cost claims must be validated at industrial scale
- System integration: The technology depends on how well it connects with existing collection and sorting infrastructure
There is therefore a distinction between technological capability and system-level deployment.
A broader shift in circularity logic
The development points to a wider shift in how circularity is approached in practice. Rather than relying on a single “optimal” recycling route, the system is moving toward a portfolio of solutions adapted to different waste streams.
From this perspective, the relevance of technologies such as dissolution-based recycling lies in their ability to:
- Expand the share of waste that can realistically be recycled
- Reduce dependency on ideal collection conditions
- Provide options for streams that would otherwise be downcycled or incinerated
Conclusion
The commercialisation of dissolution-based recycling for polystyrene represents a potentially important addition to the circular economy toolbox. Its main relevance is not in replacing existing recycling pathways, but in addressing the more complex parts of the waste system.
As Chresten Heide-Anderson notes:
“The key question is not which single technology is ‘best’, but how different solutions can work together to increase overall circularity. Expanding the toolbox is, in itself, a positive development—provided it is integrated into a well-functioning collection and sorting system.”
