INEOS Styrolution introduces recycled polystyrene sour cream cups

GERMANY – INEOS Styrolution has launched sour cream cups containing 30% recycled polystyrene, now available in ALDI SÜD stores across Germany since early 2025. 

According to the company, this initiative, developed with ALDI SÜD and Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller, advances sustainable food packaging for widespread consumer use. 

The cups earned the German Packaging Award in July 2025 for their sustainability in the recycled content category.

This marks the second commercial use of food-grade recycled polystyrene by INEOS Styrolution with a major German retailer. 

The company has also submitted an application to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for its recycling technology, ensuring compliance with upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) standards, set to enforce stricter rules on packaging sustainability.

In a statement, Rob Buntinx, President EMEA at INEOS Styrolution, said, “We’re proving circular solutions can meet food safety and performance standards while pushing for industry-wide adoption of sustainable practices.” 

The company aims to shift away from single-use plastics toward reusable, circular packaging systems.

A recent report by Packaging Europe highlights a related development: INEOS Styrolution’s earlier project with Lidl, introducing yogurt cups made from mechanically recycled polystyrene in early 2025. 

These cups, using a “super clean” purification process, were tested with consumers in 2024, with 90% of participants willing to purchase them despite slight color variations compared to virgin polystyrene. 

This process, involving near-infrared sorting, hot washing, and pelletizing, ensures food-safe recyclates, as noted by Dr. Frank Eisenträger, ECO & Market Development Manager.

The sour cream cups, priced competitively at approximately US$0.25 per unit in ALDI SÜD stores, offer a practical example of how recycled materials can maintain quality and affordability.

INEOS Styrolution’s efforts come as the EU prepares to implement PPWR, which will likely mandate higher recycled content in packaging by 2030. 

The company’s ongoing projects, including plans for additional food-grade applications, signal a growing trend toward circular packaging in the dairy sector.

With 16 production sites worldwide, INEOS Styrolution continues to expand its portfolio, which includes styrene monomer, polystyrene, and ABS, serving industries from automotive to healthcare. 

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