introduction to plastics - saafost · plastics should all be biodegradable plastics are the major...

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17 March 2011

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• B.Sc Hons Polymer Science in 1986

• Textile research

• Explosives manufacturing

• Plastics Federation of SA in 1990

• Technical trainer

• Technical Support Manager

• Started own company in July 2007

• Plastics advice, information, assistance &

training

Annabé Pretorius

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Discussion points for today

1. Waste Hierarchy

2. Different plastics

3. Facts & Fiction

4. Environmental friendly packaging

5. Questions

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Packaging

Packaging:

Protects and preserves; Extended shelf life

Makes modern lifestyle possible

• Convenient, on-the-go

• Single person households – smaller portions, more

packaging

• Less preservatives

Carries vital information

Provides public health solutions - tamper-evidence

Keeps hazardous contents from children

Complies with legal requirements

Provides branding opportunity

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Packaging

Packaging attracts media attention:

Environmental impact – energy

• Packaging vs. food supply system

• Packaging vs. shopping, storing and cooling

Manufacturers use excessive packaging

Major contributor to waste

Most litter is packaging

No, or very little, recycling of packaging

Packaging carries a health risk

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Waste hierarchy

Most favoured

option

Least favoured option

Prevent

Reduce

Re-use

Recycle

Recover energy

Dispose of

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Prevent waste

No packaging - “naked” packaging

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Prevent waste

Fresh meat

Food wastage

Not an option!!

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Re-used packaging

Using the product for exactly the same, or

similar application

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Re-used

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Re-used packaging

Milk

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Re-used packaging

Milk

Crates

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Re-used packaging

Milk

Crates

Health risk

Consumer takes responsibility

for hygiene

Not always an option !

Seldom convenient !

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Reduction of waste

Reduction, i.e. less

packaging, less waste,

without compromising the

preservation function of

packaging

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What is the

driver? Why

should the

consumer buy

it?

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Reduction of waste

Less material:

• Thinner bags

• Lighter tubs, tubes

• Smaller packs

• Material replacement

• Less ......

Minimum material – thinner – less !

PET wine bottles

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Recycling of waste

Recycling is not collection!

Waste re-utilisation

Most common form of recycling in SA

is mechanical recycling

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Plastics recycling

228 057 tons of plastics recycled in

2009 – 18,3%

165 770 tons of packaging recycled

28,9% of all packaging was recycled

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Plastics tonnages recycled

(2009)

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PE-LD/LLD, 92,381, 41%

PE-HD, 36,547, 16%

PP, 43,000, 19%PET, 33,870, 15%

PVC-P, 11,645, 5% PVC-U, 3,845, 2%

PS, 3,389, 1%Other, 10,614, 4%

PMMA

ABS

Other

PA

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Recover

Recovery of the contained energy

Energy is measured in Joules

Plastics contains more energy than

coal

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Recovery of energy

MaterialsEnergy

(MJ/kg)

Gas 46

Polyethylene, Polypropylene,

Polystyrene 45

Coal 28

PVC 18

Paper 15

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Recovery of energy

Not yet in South Africa

Packaging waste initiative includes energy

recovery – Waste Act 2009, but

non-recyclables only

Solid fuels as “Alternative fuels” for power

stations and cement kilns

Liquid fuels (2011??)

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Dispose of Landfill

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51 500 tons recovered from

landfills in 2009 (23%)

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Waste hierarchy

Prevent

Reduce

Re-use

Recycle

Recover energy

Dispose of

Most emphasis !

Least favoured option

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Discussion points for today

1. Waste Hierarchy

2. Different plastics

3. Facts & Fiction

4. Environmental friendly packaging

5. Questions

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Different plastics

40 different families of plastics

Roughly 20 of them are common

everyday use materials

“Big 5” for packaging

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Polyethylene terephthalate

(PET)

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Would it be

safe to re-use

my PET water

bottle?

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High density polyethylene

(PE-HD)

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High density polyethylene

(PE-HD)

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Poly(vinyl chloride)

(PVC)

Clingwrap

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Low density polyethylene

(PE-LD)

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Which one?

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Polypropylene (PP)

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Integral hinge

and a “5” at the

bottom – surely

PP!

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Polypropylene (PP)

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Polystyrene (PS)

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Injection

moulded PS

(conventional)

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Expandable PS

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Packaging materials

1.PET

2.PE-HD

3.PVC (Flexible and Rigid)

4.PE-LD

5.PP

6.PS (PS-HI, GPS, PS-E)

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Discussion points for today

1. Waste Hierarchy

2. Different plastics

3. Facts & Fiction

4. Environmental friendly packaging

5. Questions

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics use up valuable natural resources

Plastics are a major cause of the greenhouse

effect

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health (BPA,

phthalates, dioxins)

Plastics should all be biodegradable

Plastics are the major cause of litter

Banning thin plastic bags will reduce litter

Plastics are filling up available landfill sites

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics use up valuable natural

resources

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From crude oil to monomer(In South Africa we use coal)

Diesel & Heating Fuel

70%

Light petroleum spirit

20%

Others

10%

Crude oil

100%

Motor fuel

13%

Raw materials for chemicals

7%

Plastics

4%

Other chemicals

3%

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics use up valuable natural resources

True in absolute terms, but the minimal percentage of fossil fuels which go into the manufacture of plastics is more than offset by their low mass and the resultant savings in fuels during transportation.

It also plays a significant role in the conservation of other resources like trees…

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Plastics use up valuable natural resources

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are a major cause of the

greenhouse effect

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Expandable PS

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are a major cause of the

greenhouse effect

Contrary to general believe, plastics play a significant

role in minimising the greenhouse effect by virtue of

lower CO2 emissions when compared to other

packaging forms.

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0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

PE-HD Cardboard Glass*

Carbon dioxide Emissions in grams

(Milk packaging)

* Acknowledged that glass is re-used but causes emission of a further 144g

on each trip, e.g. washing and capping

Plastics are a major cause of the greenhouse effect

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

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Facts or Fiction...

Do not re-use your water bottle...

Don’t leave your water bottle in the hot

car...

8 reasons why you should not drink

bottled water...

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Water bottles

“…one contaminant that

appears regularly in reused

water bottles was DEHA, a

suspected human

carcinogen that is known to

cause weight loss and liver

and reproductive

problems…”

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1. DEHA = Di-2-ethyl-Hexyl-Adipate = DOA

2. DEHA = Di-ethyl Hydroxyl Amine (not found in PET or in the production of PET bottles)

3. DOA, is one of the organic contaminants commonly found at trace levels in drinking water

4. A Calgary University student study water bottles and found bacteria in school children’s bottles. They reported it as being DEHA Should have said DOA!

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

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Additives leach out of the toys into the

mouths of babies...

Vanilla teething rings, BPA and phthalate

free...

Cling film is not microwaveable

Facts or Fiction

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Soft PVC

Soft toys

Teething rings

Cling wrap

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Medical applications

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

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Facts or Fiction...

How safe is your baby’s bottles?

Only buy BPA-free bottles...

Dangerous chemical can leach from

baby bottles...

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

Bisphenol A is found in metal containers

(lining), metal closures and is a building block

for Polycarbonate.

Daily tolerable intake is so small that a baby

should drink 80 bottles of formula in one day

and eat the bottles!

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Facts or Fiction...

Polystyrene is not plastic...

Polystyrene cannot be recycled...

Polystyrene is not safe in the

microwave...

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

Styrene monomer can leach out of polystyrene

if heated to above its softening point. Not a

good idea to keep food in PS-E containers for

extended periods in ovens, neither to heat it up

in your microwave – oily contents is the

problem, not the PS-E!

At normal temperatures (< 45 C) no problem!

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

Plastics are non-toxic and, in most cases, can be

considered as totally inert in normal use. No toxic

effluents are generated during manufacture.

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Dioxins are a family of chemical

substances which are produced in many

types of combustion,

e.g. such as cigarette smoke,

car exhausts or even a braai!

http://www.incpen.org/html/dioxinguide.htm

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics should all be biodegradable

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Green Packaging

Claims – Green washing

100% compostable in commercial

composting facilities

Easy to compost

100% biodegradable

Can be used for bio-energy

Recyclable and Compostable

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Degradability and other terms

Degradability

Ability of materials to break down, by:

• bacterial (biodegradable),

• thermal (oxidative) or

• ultraviolet (photodegradable) action.

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Biodegradable

Biodegradable materials

Degradable due to the action of micro-

organisms and enzymes (such as fungi or

bacteria)

The mineralisation of organic structures by

micro-organisms converts the bioplastics

into CO2, methane, water and biomass, i.e.

it decomposes

Plastics are not biodegradable

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Oxo-biodegradable

Oxo-biodegradable plastics

Materials made from traditional plastic with

an additive that initiates degradation under

the action of heat, UV and oxygen

This kind of material could encourage

littering, doesn’t degrade in landfill, and is a

real danger for marine life

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Bio-plastics or Biomass materials

Bio-plastic

A bio-based plastic is a plastic derived

from a renewable source, e.g. corn,

sugar cane, starch, etc

Can be recycled, but not with other

materials in normal recycling stream

Not necessarily biodegradable

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Compostable

Compostable plastics

Degradable due to a biological process occurring

during composting and are converted into CO2,

water, and biomass

There are no toxic side effects

Conform to an officially recognised standard

(EN 13432)

There are no commercial composting sites in SA

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Get more on:

http://www.pro-europe.org/files/

Factsheet_on_bioplastics_230309.pdf

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Biodegradability?

Technologists mimic nature by using the

environmental forces of heat, oxygen and sunlight

to cause degradation leading to biodegradation

In direct sunlight from 30 June to 25 Feb – 8 months; Only the RHS bag was “oxo-biodegradable”

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics should all be biodegradable

Biodegradable plastics are available, at a price, but

do not biodegrade in landfill sites. Most plastics are

photo-degradable, i.e. they are degraded by the UV

rays of the sun and break up into smaller pieces

which become incorporated into the soil with no

harmful effects.

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics should all be biodegradable

Biodegradable plastics are available, at a price, but

do not biodegrade in landfill sites. Most plastics are

photo-degradable, i.e. they are degraded by the UV

rays of the sun and break up into smaller pieces

which become incorporated into the soil with no

harmful effects.

…..all of them biodegradable?

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Plastics are the major cause of litter

Facts or Fiction?

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Plastics are the major cause of litter

Post-consumer waste of all types is a

major environmental problem, as well

as a highly visible one.

Littering is an extremely serious

problem in South Africa

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Facts or Fiction?

Banning thin plastic bags will reduce

litter

May 2003:

• All bags must be thicker than 30µm 20%

• Printing must be less than 50%

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“Banning” thin plastic bags will reduce litter

Beverage

can

2 litre PET

bottle

Checkers

bag

1955 73 g

1975 56 µm

1979 68 g

1982 30 µm

1985 54 g

1999 31 g 47 g 15 µm

2003 30 µm

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Facts or Fiction?

Plastics are filling up available landfill

sites

Despite the widespread use of plastics

packaging, analysis of the solid waste stream

shows that plastics represent only 7% by

weight and 18% by volume. Other materials

account for the bulk of waste.

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% Landfill composition by weight

Plastics are filling up available landfill sites

Food

8,1%

Other

8,6%

Glass

9,7%Metals

9,6%

Plastics

7,2%

Building &

Construction

17,9%

Paper

37,1%

Misc

1,8%

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Facts or Fiction ?

Plastics use up valuable natural resources

Plastics are a major cause of the greenhouse

effect

Plastics are toxic and harmful to health

Plastics should all be biodegradable

Plastics are the major cause of litter

Banning thin plastic bags will reduce litter

Plastics are filling up available landfill sites

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Discussion points for today

1. Waste Hierarchy

2. Different plastics

3. Facts & Fiction

4. Environmental friendly packaging

5. Questions

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Environmentally friendly packaging

Ensure packaging can be recycled

If not, minimise material usage

Don’t lie to the consumer – green washing

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Recycling of packaging

Design for recycling

• Choice of material(s)

• Application of labels

• Additives in material

98PET bottle, PVC sleeve PE-HD bottle, PVC sleeve

Design for recycling

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Recycling of packaging

Design for recycling

• Choice of material(s)

• Application of labels

• Additives in material

Material identification codes

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1 PET

2 PE-HD

3 PVC

4 PE-LD

5 PP

6 PS

7 Other, e.g. ABS,

PC, PETG

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Should have said “2” for PE-HD

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Universal Recycling

Symbol

Material Identification

code

Neither says anything about the recyclability of

the product

Neither indicates if it will be recycled in South

Africa

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Recycling of packaging

Design for recycling

• Choice of material(s)

• Application of labels

• Additives in material

Material identification codes

Commitment towards

recycling initiatives

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Discussion points for today

1. Waste Hierarchy

2. Different plastics

3. Facts & Fiction

4. Environmental friendly packaging

5. Questions

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To summarise

1. Packaging is integral part of product

2. Environmental accountability and

sustainability

3. Waste hierarchy

4. Partner with packaging provider and

recycling initiatives

5. Commitment towards spent-product

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Annabé Pretorius

Tel 083 654 8967

annabe@absamail.co.za

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Annabé Pretorius

Tel 083 654 8967

annabe@absamail.co.za