Pescafácil, a leading supplier of seafood products, has adopted fish boxes made from Knauf Industries’ CELOOPS® material. This innovative packaging is crafted using expandable polystyrene (EPS) granules, specifically Styropor® Ccycled® from BASF. The production of Ccycled® materials involves substituting fossil feedstocks with pyrolysis oil, sourced from post-consumer plastic waste through a process of chemical recycling, and integrated into EPS via the mass balance approach[1]. Thus, these three industry players significantly enhance the circularity of plastics.
CELOOPS® Quality for Food Contact
EPS packaging is widely recognized in food transportation, particularly for seafood, due to its superior isothermal properties that maintain the cold chain. Additionally, EPS offers robust shock protection and excellent stacking stability while remaining lightweight. Importantly, this packaging is also 100% recyclable.
To achieve the performance characteristics of conventional EPS while enhancing plastic circularity, Knauf Industries co-developed CELOOPS® with BASF. “CELOOPS® maintains the high standards of hygiene and food contact quality while conserving fossil resources and contributing to the circular economy,” explains Víctor Borrás, COO at Knauf Industries Spain. “This makes CELOOPS® a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional EPS.”
Ensuring the Cold Chain for Seafood Transport at Pescafácil
Pescafácil has begun using CELOOPS® boxes from Knauf Industries for product transport. “Food quality and safety are our top priority, and securing the cold chain is vital to ensure both,” states Mara Prieto, member of the Purchasing Department of auxiliary materials and the Sustainability Committee at Pescafácil. “That’s why we trust the new CELOOPS® fish boxes produced by Knauf Industries with Ccycled® material. In addition to the established EPS properties like exceptional temperature control and impact resistance, this underscores our commitment to the circular economy.”
Styropor® Ccycled® from BASF as Sustainable Raw Material
CELOOPS® utilizes Styropor® Ccycled® from BASF. In producing Styropor® Ccycled®, fossil feedstocks are replaced at the outset of the petrochemical value chain by pyrolysis oil from chemical recycling. “We are dedicated to continuously enhancing our products with a strong focus on sustainability. It’s crucial for us to help our clients optimize the ecological profile of their offerings,” emphasizes Jesús Ocaña Corral, Product Management EPS at BASF. “We believe technologies like chemical recycling are vital to meet the recycled content mandates set by regulations such as the Plastic Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).” The PPWR’s technologically neutral stance on high-quality recycling further solidifies BASF’s commitment to this innovation. Furthermore, national policies, including Spain’s plastic tax, explicitly endorse chemical recycling.
At the end of their lifecycle, CELOOPS® fish boxes are, like all CELOOPS® products, 100% recyclable. They can be recycled with existing EPS recycling technologies or through Knauf Circular.
[1] For more information, visit: https://plastics-rubber.basf.com/global/en/plastics-hub/chemcycling
Additional details are available at www.basf.com
