As of November 2021, Ekornes, a Norwegian manufacturer of high-end design furniture uses EPS (expandable polystyrene) protective packaging that has a lower carbon footprint than virgin material by safeguarding the same properties. This is achieved by replacing fossil resources with recycled raw materials at the beginning of production.
Styropor® Ccycled® offers the same properties as conventional Styropor® such as shock absorption or high compressive strength. The manufacturing process is based on chemical recycling, in which plastic waste is converted into pyrolysis oil and then fed into BASF's value chain. This replaces fossil raw materials and saves at least 50 percent CO2 during production. BASF's EPS granules are processed by VARTDAL PLAST into molded parts for Stressless® brand furniture. VARTDAL PLAST is also committed to sustainability: the company is certified according to Ecoloop, as 100 percent recycled material is used as raw material for the products it sells.
Our contribution to the circular economy of plastics - resource-saving and environmentally friendly
"Current environmental policy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, replacing fossil resources and avoiding or using waste. By using products from our ChemCycling® project, our partner Ekornes is actively helping to ensure that plastics are recycled after use and returned to the material cycle," says Klaus Ries, Head of BASF's Styrenics business in Europe.
Read more about BASF’s ChemCycling® project here