Reduction of the carbon footprint through polystyrene recycling: Economical evaluation

• Technical feasibility of the recycling process was checked since microcellular foams were achieved.
• Environmental feasibility of the recycling process was confirmed since emissions were minimised.
• Economical benefit could be obtained if higher amount of polymer is recycled.
• CO2 should be preferable recovered to the recycling process.

The incorporation of CO2 into new processes is one of the most important strategies for gas emissions mitigation that also would help to decrease the Carbon footprint. Recycling of wastes is also considered as a route to prevent greenhouse emissions as well as a source of interesting raw material. The process of recycling of polystyrene (PS) wastes using high-pressure CO2 as antisolvent and blowing agent in order to produce microcellular foams with enhanced properties was proposed, because the process could combine the benefits of both strategies for CO2 mitigation while high value-added materials were achieved.The technical, environmental and economical advantages of the recycling of polystyrene wastes were evaluated in an industrial and pilot-scale plant considering that CO2 could be recirculated during the process in several cycles in order to minimise its consumption while the economical profit is maximised.