dakofa wrap plastics final
TRANSCRIPT
DAKOFA conference
Dr Mervyn Jones
Mixed Plastics Overview
August 2013
About WRAP
WRAP’s vision is a world without waste, where resources are used sustainably.
We help businesses, individuals and communities reap the benefits of reducing waste, developing sustainable products and using resources in an efficient way.
European plastics demand
Source: Plastics: the facts, Plastics Europe ,2012
European plastics recovery & recycling
Source: Plastics: the facts, Plastics Europe ,2012
Plastics packaging loop
Collections for re-use
Amount of waste plastic in Europe expected to increase from 25Mt in 2008 to >30Mt by 2015.
The traded volume of waste across Europe has risen from 2Mt in 2000 to 7.2Mt in 2011
Raw material
extraction
Manufacturing
Retail or service
Use
Collection
Recycling
Material production
Re-use & repair
Plastic bottles 281k tonnes
Non-bottle plastics 76k tonnes
TOTAL 357k tonnes
Source: Recoup Survey 2011
Bottle recoveryrate ~48%
UK household plastic recycling
2010
What are mixed plastics?
Household PlasticsPackaging (HPP)
Mixed Plastics
Packaging (MPP)
Rigid Packaging(trays tubs pots etc)
Flexible Packaging
(films)
Bottles
UK plastic waste composition
Total UK Plastic Packaging Waste, 2009: ~ 2.5Mt
23%
19%
30%
28%
HouseholdBottlesHouseholdRigidsHousehold Films
Commercial &Industrial
WRAP’ Plastics Market Situation Report, 2010
Packaging only
Packaging overview
Packaging has very important role:
Protection; shelf life; portion control
Why closed loop approach: Mechanical recycling better than SRF.
Incineration worst option (LCA)
Food grade to food grade packaging adds greatest value
Quality is key: Sourcing – collections and bale quality
Demand – end market requirements
Sorting Materials Recycling Facility or Plastics
Recycling Facility – viability & size
Life cycle analyses
Chart 5.2.1 – Net global warming potential(after avoided impacts have been considered)
-1500
-1000
-500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
Scenario A
Scenario B
Scenario C
Scenario D
Scenario E
Scenario F
Scenario G
Scenario H
Scenario I
Scenario J
Scenario K
Scenario L
Scenario M
kg
eq
. carb
on
dio
xid
e/t
on
ne
A= Landfill
B=Incineration (EFW)
C=Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF in Cement kiln)
D=Pyrolysis (gas cracking)
E=Pyrolysis (to Diesel)
F Redox agent in blast furnace
G-M = Mechanical recycling
Alternative Options Mechanical Recycling
Packaging - WRAP Approach
Packaging reduction& optimisation
Courtauld Commitment
Developing new technology
Building reprocessing infrastructure
Recyclability and recycled content
Market information
Waste Minimisation
Collecting& Sorting
Recycling & Reprocessing
Market Development
Support & guidance on waste collections
Improving MRF operations
• Ensuring supply of quality material for recycling
• Establishing the capacity to sort, recycle & reprocess
• Supporting recycling enterprises
• Building demand for & confidence in recycled polymers
• Rightweighting• Packaging specs
• Recycled content
• Consumer information
Interventions
Sectoral approaches
Dairy roadmap sets vision and direction for recycled content (HDPE)with targets
Voluntary commitments set targets for reduction, generate demand for RC, improve design & performance and change behaviour across supply change
Consumer campaigns encourage recycling, e.g. on-pack labelling and food waste reduction
Closing the loop from waste to food contact
Recycling of plastic bottles
Addressing barriers
Technical
IR detection of polymers and colours
Tinted caps, inks and labels
Carbon black prevents near infrared sorters identifying polymer types… New pigments enable NIR sorting
Food PP process development
Encouraging infrastructure development
Technical R&D
Levering JVs
Grants and loans
HDPE – closed loop recycling
WRAP led R&D food grade process development
Partnership with dairies, bottle blowers, retailers
Feasibility study, and large scale trial
Capital support competition (de-risk investment)
Now fresh milk sold in plastics bottles in the UK has 10% recycled content (unique in world).
This will increase to:
30% by 2015 and
50% by 2020 (Defra Milk Roadmap)
PET
HDPE
Food grade rPET pellet to bottles and washed flake into sheet.
Food grade rHDPE pellet. All new milk bottles have at least 10% rHDPE. 30% by 2015
UK PET & HDPE facilities
ProductsSRF, etc
Mixed plastic film vision
Front of store collection –facilitated by OPRL
MRF
Front of store
Kerbside sort
PRF Reprocessor
Polymer/colour sorting
Improve sorting technologies to efficiently and sustainably treat mixed film
bring
Residue
End Markets – financial drivers
Biffa Polymers mixed plastics plant
£1.2m Capital Grant from WRAP – Open in 2011
First one specifically targeting non-bottle rigid plastic packaging waste (pots, tubs, trays).
Sorted by polymer and colour (clear/natural and coloured).
Reprocessed to a hot washed flake.
Can be used to manufacture new plastic items with a recycled content.
See a film of the plant in action at: http://www.wrap.org.uk/recycling_industry/information_by_material/plastics/new_mixed_plastics.html
Black plastic
Carbon black prevents near infrared sorters identifying polymer types:
New pigments enable optical sorting
WRAP carried out 3 phases of work with key supply chain partners to:
Develop packaging with black colourants that enable the packs to be optically sorted.
Address technical barriers to implementation
Optical sorting works- commercial scale trials
End markets available (fibre, sheet for new trays)
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/recyclability-black-plastic-packaging-0
Food grade rPP demand
• Around 50% PP demand in Europe is for packaging
• Virgin PP - packaging manufacturers are always supplied with food grade PP even for non food packaging.
• Sites manufacturing food and non-food packaging would only use food grade rPP because:
o will not risk accidental use of non food rPP on food products.
o simplifies inventories and therefore minimises cost.
• Therefore most packaging using rPP would need food approved material.
Laser diffraction food pack sorting
Diffraction grating marked on/moulded in surface of package or label
Lab trials shown that regular patterns of interference can be detected by a camera.
Marker gets re-set when pack recycled.
Developing end markets
Need non-food applications too:
Food grade rPP still >2 yrs away.
30-50% rPP can’t go into food anyway -was not previously used with food.
PP, PET, HDPE and PS
Can go to other packaging and products
Visit WRAP website for more…
“www.wrap.org.uk/plastics”
Food grade rPP - phase 3
“www.wrap.org.uk/plastics”
Film Reports
“www.wrap.org.uk/plastics”
Post-consumer film
