Making Waves: Navigating Toward a More Sustainable Tomorrow
By Richard Shaw, Director – Sustainability & Circular Economy, AmSty
At AmSty, sustainability is the current that drives everything we do.
This year's sustainability report, "Making Waves," reflects that reality. It's a bold title, and rightly so. Because real progress comes from choosing to push forward with purpose.
If you've followed our journey, you know we've been committed to circularity and sustainable innovation since the start.
Our advanced recycling technology for polystyrene – transforming used material back into high-quality polystyrene – is at the heart of that. We're proud of how our PolyRenew® Polystyrene and PolyRenew® Styrene product lines continue to grow, helping our customers meet their own sustainability goals while keeping valuable material in use.
But as the "Making Waves" report makes clear, circularity is only one part of the story.
We're also strengthening the operational backbone of our business, with facility upgrades and digital system improvements that enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact and prepare us for the long term. In St. James, Louisiana, our reliability investment continues and in Marietta, Ohio, we're implementing state-of-the-art control systems to optimize performance for years to come.
We've scaled our hazardous waste reduction initiative, first launched at Hanging Rock, Ohio, to plants in Joliet, Illinois, and Torrance, California, cutting hazardous waste by 20% in just two and a half years. That kind of environmental stewardship isn't a trend. It's a commitment.
Safety anchors every decision we make. Multiple AmSty sites have now gone seven years without a recordable injury. At our Marietta site, the streak has reached nine years. That's not luck – it's the result of an intentional culture that prioritizes people.
We're also proud to be working across the industry to improve the circularity of all types of polystyrene. In early 2025, we helped launch the Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA), a coalition of stakeholders from across the value chain whose mission is to promote circularity for polystyrene products across North America.
Here's the truth: sustainability doesn't happen by floating with the current. It takes collaboration, courage and hard work. That's what leads to lasting impact.
This year's theme, "Making Waves," isn't just a metaphor. It's a mindset. Because waves move things forward. The tide is shifting and I'm proud of the role AmSty is playing in that transformation.
