Trinseo's new PMMA depolymerization facility advances sustainable, circular acrylic solutions.
Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider, has recently announced the opening of its polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) depolymerization facility in Rho, Italy, on June 25. The pilot facility represents a significant step forward in the Company’s commitment to sustainability, as the next-generation recycling technology helps advance a circular infrastructure for acrylic solutions and is aligned with Trinseo’s 2030 Sustainable Product Portfolio Goals.
“We are thrilled about the opening of our depolymerization facility, which will help advance our goal to support a circular economy,” said Francesca Reverberi, Senior Vice President of Engineered Materials and Chief Sustainability Officer at Trinseo. “Our company remains committed to our sustainability goals, including investing in new recycling technologies that can support our customers in reaching their sustainability goals as well.”
Trinseo’s PMMA depolymerization facility delivers a next-generation technology, utilizing an advanced continuous process to produce high-purity regenerated MMA from pre- and post-consumer acrylic solutions.
Trinseo’s depolymerization technology leverages findings from the MMAtwo Consortium, a collaborative initiative funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, to develop a new value chain for pre- and post-consumer PMMA and a versatile recycling process for converting this waste into high-quality regenerated monomer with carbon footprint reduction versus virgin MMA.
The recycled MMA (rMMA) generated by Trinseo’s depolymerization facility is utilized in the Company’s ALTUGLAS™ and PLEXIGLAS® R-Life product portfolios. Through this new facility, Trinseo can produce rMMA that is comparable to virgin raw materials. This enables use in high-demand applications, such as vehicle taillights or caravan windows that require high optical quality
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