Canadian packaging company Cascades and plastic resins manufacturer NextLife have agreed for a partnership to include recycled polystyrene, or No 6 Plastic and give a second life to the plastic.

Under the partnership, recovered polystyrene products will be transformed into sustainable resin by NextLife, which will be supplied to Cascades to be used in the production of foam trays for meat packaging.

Recovered post-consumer materials, which run through a proprietary process, are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food contact applications. They are primarily sourced from businesses seeking sustainable solutions.

By the end of 2012, Cascades plans to launch a range of expanded polystyrene trays made with post-consumer content. The company is currently testing the materials.

According to the company, the initiative aligns with its strategic focus on increasingly sustainable product offerings.