Firms collaborate to produce degradable polystyrene

Cascades Inc, Kingsey Falls QC, has introduced the world's first line of oxo-degradable polystyrene foam containers. Bioxo containers are produced with the addition of TDPA (totally degradable plastic additives) which it has licensed from Vancouver's EPI Environmental Technologies Inc. When TDPA is added to the polystyrene base resin, containers degrade within three years to a fine powder which can be ingested by bacteria and other micro-organisms, compared to several hundred years for traditional polystyrene foam containers. Cascades says its R&D centre in Vancouver has demonstrated that the styrene molecules are actually ingested by micro-organisms but it is ordering independent tests to be undertaken by researchers at the Univ of Pisa (Italy) for verification….