Plastics Recycling How design holds the key to all recycling potential Antonino Furfari Managing Director, PRE
Definition ofrecyclable Global definition as agreed by the plastics recycling industry For a product to be recyclable 4 conditions must bemet: 1. Tfte product must be made witft a plastic tftat is collected for recycling, ftas market value and/or is supported by a legislatively mandated program. 2. Tfte product must be sorted and aggregated into defined streams for recyclingprocesses. 3. Tfte product can be processed and recycled/reclaimed witft commercial recycling processes. 4. Tfte recycled plastic becomes a raw material tftat is used in tfte production of new products.
The importan ce of Design for Recyclin g
Healtfty Recycling Industry DESIGN FOR RECYCLING UPTAKE OF RECYCLATES IN NEW ARTICLES STATE-OF-ART RECYCLING QUALITY COLLECTION & SORTING
Symptoms of low quality recyclates
Recyclers can t do magic! State-of-the-art technology
Plastics Recycling: Lookingback Technological changes
Greatest design problem today preventing recycling? It is not a black and white situation RecyClass is an online tool that ranks the recyclability of a plastic package. It evaluates the package recyclability given the existing recycling streams. It gives indications to the user aboutprecise critical points to be improved.
Maximum percentage of recycled conent? Sky could be the limit? There is no limitation on ftow mucft recycled content can be added toa package. QUALITY! Low qualities recyclates might need to be dilutedin order to perform properly.
Tfte complex world of labels In a very small nutshell PET bottles PE packaging PP packaging PE or PP PE PP Different wasfting tecftniques Labels usually float regardless tfte polymer Differerent end-markets Paper labels? No! Specially if they create pulp which will stick to the pellets. Adftesives: Use washable adhesives! No welded labels
Sleeves yes or sleeves no? Sleeves are a big yes in MARKETING BUT Sorting (in most cases) works with an infrarred ligftt detector which detects the surface of the package. APET bottle with a PE sleeve will go to the PE fraction wrong waste stream! Black packaging cannot be detected Black absorbs all the light and givesno reflection Perforated sleeves to be removed by the consumer might be a solution?
Transparent or colouredpackaging? The best for recycling is clear plastic which will provide many options for an end-market. Higft quality recyclates! The higher the amount of colorant in the package, the less options for a second life. SUCCESS STORY of PET Clear, light blue, dark blue and coloured PET bales.
Bio- plastics? Can tftey be recycled? Bio-based non degradable plastics OK! Bio-degradable plastics pose a risk in recycling streams. Confusion on how to disposethem They cannot be detected or sortedout by recyclers Source: Plastics New Zeland.www.plastics.org.nz Reduce the quality of recycled plastic
Flexible Packaging &Films Lightweight yes, recyclable NO! Multi-material compositions are not desirable for recyclers Different polymer types coextruded cannot be separated Tftey will downgrade tfte purity / quality of tfte final recyclate (PP +PE) Tftey will contaminate tfte stream (PET + PE) Alternatives are possible!
Thank you! PRE actively promotes the increase of plastics recycling and supports the transition to circular economy. Plastics Recyclers Eruope Avenue de Cortenbergh 71 1000 Brussels info@plasticsrecyclers.eu Making plastics circular