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The Compell ing Facts About Plast icsAn analysis of plast ics product ion, demand and recovery for 2006 in Europe

Published in January 2008

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• Methodologyandchanges page 4

• �006–Ataglance page 5

• Plasticsprotecttheclimate,boostresourceefficiencyandgiveusasaferlife page 6

• Productionandmarketdemandofplasticsinaglobalcontext page 8

• ProductionanddemandinEU�5+NO/CH page 9

• Productionperpolymerandapplication page �0

• Plasticsoffermanywaystocontributetosustainableuseofresources page ��

• Bioplasticsandcarrierbags page ��

• Plasticssupplychainfromcradletocradle page ��

• Plasticscontinuetodecouplegrowthindemandandmaterialtolandfill page �4

• Progresstowardsdiversionfromlandfill page �5

• Trendsinmechanicalrecycling page �6

-Plasticbottlesaresuitableforrecycling page �6

-RecyclingofwastefromPVCwindows page �7

• Trendsinfeedstockrecycling page �8

• Trendsinenergyrecovery page �9

• Recoverytrendsbyapplication page �0

•WhathasEuropelearntandwhataboutthefuture? page ��

• References page ��

•Whoarewe page ��

Tableofcontent

Methodologyandchanges

Thisbrochureon�006production,demandandrecoveryis

theseventeenthannualpublicationbythemanufacturers

ofplasticsinEuropeandpartners.

Thepurposeofthisbrochureistoprovideanoverviewof

thedevelopmentofplasticsfromproduction,overtheir

useinawidevarietyofapplicationstotheprogressmade

torecovertheplasticsattheirend-of-lifephase.

PlasticsEurope’sMarketResearchandStatisticsGroup

(PEMRG)providedtheinputonproductionanddemand

oftheplasticsrawmaterials.

Thedatafortheend-of-lifephasewasforthefirsttime

collectedinaplasticsvaluechainpartnershipinvolving

PlasticsEurope,EuPC(theEuropeanPlasticsConverters),

EuPR(theEuropeanPlasticsRecyclers)andEPRO(the

EuropeanAssociationofPlasticsRecyclingandRecovery

Organisations).

ConsulticMarketing&IndustrieberatungGmbHhas

complementedtheworktoassessthewastegeneration

andrecoverydataforEU�5+NO/CH.

Forrecoverydata,officialstatisticshavebeenused

wheneveravailablefromEuropeanornationalauthorities

andwastemanagementcompaniesororganisations.

Whererequiredresearchorknowhowfromconsultants

hasbeenusedtocompletethepicture.

Thefigurescannotalwaysbedirectlycomparedtothose

publishedearlierduetochangesintheestimatesofboth

marketdemandandthewastegenerated.However,the

overalldifferencesaresmallandarevisionofearlier

estimateshasbeenmadetoenablethehistoricalprogress

tobetrackedofboththeuseandrecoveryofplastics

acrossEuropeduringthelastdecade.

Also,asmanyfiguresaretheresultofassessments

applyingthesamedefinitionsacrossEU�5+NO/CHthey

candeviatefromcorrespondingnumbersquotedbyother

sources,astheymayusedifferentdefinitionsorhave

madealternativeassessments.

4

EuropeanPlasticConverters

�006–Ataglance

A number of Member States have now reached recovery rates of near 100% i.e. they have effectively eliminated used plastics going to landfill. This performance is achieved by adopting an integrated resource management strategy incorporating a range of complementary options, addressing different streams with the best environmental and economic option for each one.

Plastics continue to be a global success story with Europe (EU25+Norway (NO) and Switzerland (CH) remaining a major manufacturing region, producing about 25% of the total estimated worldwide plastics production of 245 million tonnes.

For the whole of the plastics industry – producers, converters and machinery manufacturers – the overall turnover in EU25+NO/CH 2006 was in excess of 280 billion euro, with the industry employing more than 1.6 million people.

The demand by converters for plastics in Europe (EU25+NO/CH) increased from 47.5 million tonnes in 2005 to 49.5 million tonnes in 2006, an increase of 4%.

2006 marks a milestone as the first year when recovery and disposal rates of used plastic were equal. The recovery rate of post-consumer end-of-life plastics now stands at 50% in EU25+NO/CH (up 3% points on the previous year) and disposal stands at 50% (down by 3% points compared to 2005). The recycling rate for post-consumer plastics has increased to 19.7% - up from 18% in 2005 and energy recovery has increased to 30.3% - up from 29% in 2005.

The decoupling in EU25+NO/CH of the growth in used plastics and the volume of plastics waste going to disposal continued. Used plastics going to disposal fell by 1%/year to 11.5 million tonnes/year.

5

6

Plasticsplayasignificantroleacrosstheenvironmental,

societalandeconomicdimensionsofsustainable

development.Ourmodernlifestylewouldnotbepossible

withoutplastics.Plasticsmeetthedemandsofsociety

byenablingtheeco-efficientmanufactureofnumerous

valuableproductssuchasprotectivepackaging,lightweight

andsafetycomponentsincars,mobilephones,insulation

materialsinbuildings,medicaldevices,andkeycomponents

forrenewableenergyproduction,protectioninextreme

conditionsetc.

Climate protection

Incars,around60%byweightoftheplasticsusedenhance

comfortandsafetywhile40%areusedinapplications

contributingtoweightreduction,resultinginconsiderable

fuelsavingsandareductioninCO�emissions.Theweight

savingfromtheplasticinamoderncarsavesover500lof

fueloveritslifetime.

InanAirbus�80,highperformanceplasticcomposites

reducethepassengercostperseatthroughlowerweight

andconsequentlylowerfuelconsumption.

Homesandbuildingsarekeptwarm(orcool!)byplastics

insulation.Withabout40%ofallprimaryenergyconsumed

globallyusedinbuildings,optimuminsulationhasbecome

oneofthetopinitiativestoreachtheKyototargets.

Anincreasinguseoflightweightplasticspackagingreduces

boththeweightofthetransportandtheproportionof

thepackagedgoodsthatarewasted–bothofwhichreduce

CO�emissions.

Plasticsenabletherotorsinwindturbinestobelonger

andmoreeffectiveandcomponentsinphotovoltaic

panelstoincreasetheirefficiency.

Resource efficiency

Withoutplasticspackaging,ithasbeenestimatedthatthe

tonnageofalternativepackagingmaterialswouldincrease

byafactorof4,emissionsofgreenhousegasesbyafactor

of�,costsbyafactorof�.9,energyusebyafactorof�.5,

andwastebyafactorof�.6involume.Allthesefactors

arebasedonthecurrentsituation.Withtheuseofplastics

expectedtocontinuetoincreaseinthefuturetheeffect

willbebiggeryear-by-year.

Inaddition,plasticspackagingsavesresourcesby

protectingfoodinitsjourneyfromfarmtosupermarket

andintoourkitchens.Thiscanbeillustratedinanumberof

ways:inthedevelopingworld50%offoodiswastedfrom

farmtokitchen;oncetheyhavereachedthesupermarket

loosely-packedfruitsandvegetablescreate�6%more

wastecomparedtopre-packedproduce;�.5gofplastics

filmextendstheshelflifeofacucumberfrom�to�4days.

Some�0gofmultilayerfilminaMAP(modifiedatmospheric

packaging)packageformeatextendstheshelflifefroma

fewdaystomorethanaweek.TheamountofCO�usedto

produceasingleportionmeatisabout�00timesbigger

thanusedtoproducethemultilayerfilm.

Innovativedesignusesplasticsfortheouterdrumof

washingmachines,reducingbothwaterandenergy

consumption.

Plasticsprotecttheclimate,boostresourceefficiencyandgiveusasaferlife

Plasticpipescansecuresafe,leak-freeandefficient

transportofdrinkingwaterandsewagewithoutwasting

orcontaminatingthisincreasinglyscarceresource.

Plastics give us a safer life

Plasticsprotectusfrominjuryinnumerousways,

whetherweareinthecar,workingasafirefighteror

skiing.Airbagsinacararemadeofplastics,thehelmet

andmuchoftheprotectiveclothingforamotorcycle

bikerisbasedonplastics,anastronautsuitmustsustain

temperaturesfrom-�50degreeCelsiusto+��0degrees

andthefire-fighterrelyuponplasticsclothingwhichare

protectingagainsthightemperature,areventilatingand

flexibletoworkin.

Plasticssafeguardourfoodanddrinkfromexternal

contaminationandthespreadofmicrobes.Plastics

flooringandfurnitureareeasytokeepcleantohelp

preventthespreadofbacteriaine.g.hospitals.

Inthemedicalareaplasticsareusedforbloodpouches

andtubing,artificiallimbsandjoints,contactlensesand

artificialcornea,stitchesthatdissolve,splintsandscrews

thathealfracturesandmanyotherapplications.

Incomingyearsnanopolymerswillcarrydrugsdirectly

todamagedcellsandmicro-spiralsbeingusedtocombat

coronarydisease.Artificialbloodbasedonplasticsis

beingdevelopedtocomplementnaturalblood.

7

8

Atrackrecordofcontinuousinnovationhasdrivenaglobal

averageincreaseinproductionandconsumptionofalmost

�0%everyyearsince�950.Fromaround�.5milliontonnes

in�950,thetotalglobalproductionofplasticsgrewto

�45milliontonnesin�006asshowninFigure�.

Ananalysisofplasticmaterialsconsumptiononaper

capitabasisshowsthatthishasnowgrowntoapproximately

�00kginNAFTAandWesternEurope,withthepotential

togrowtoupto��0kgpercapitaby�0�0.Thehighest

potentialforgrowthcanbefoundintherapidlydeveloping

partsofAsia(excludingJapan),wherecurrentlytheper

capitaconsumptionisonlyaround�0kg.

IntheEuropeancontext,itisthenewMemberStates

whichareexpectedtoseethebiggestincreaseastheir

economiesdevelop.Theircurrentaveragepercapita

consumptionof55kgisalittlemorethanhalfofthat

oftheoldMemberStates(Figure�).

Productionandmarketdemandofplasticsinaglobalcontext

0

50

100

150

200

250

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Mio t

1950: 1.5

Europe(WE + CEE)

1976: 50

1989: 100

2002: 200

2006: 245

World

Includes Thermoplastics, Polyurethanes, Thermosets, Elastomers, Adhesives, Coatings and Sealants and PP-Fibers. Not included PET-, PA- and Polyacryl-Fibers

Figure�.WorldPlasticsProduction�950-�006

Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)

1980 2005 2010eTotal World

3831

10

13103

Middle East / Africa

118

99

40

Western Europe

3.6 %

2434

8,5

Central & EasternEurope + CIS

7.2 %

26217.5

Latin America

4.4%

5.4%

NAFTA

120105

46

2.7 %

Japan

9889

50

1.9 %220 27

Asia w/o Japan

6.2 %

4.2 %

Figure�.Plasticdemandbyconverterspercapitaperregion

Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)

9

EU�5+NO/CHrepresent�5%oftheglobalplasticproduction

withabout60milliontonnes/year,atasimilarlevelto

NAFTAat��.5%.WithinEurope,theplasticproduction

facilitiesarewellspread.Germanyisthemajorproducer,

accountingfor8%ofglobalproduction,followedbythe

Benelux(5%),France(�%),Italy(�%)andtheUKand

Spain(�.5%).(Figure�)

PlasticsdemandbyconvertersinEU�5+Norwayand

Switzerlandwas49.5milliontonnesin�006.Thedemand

expressedastonnageofvirginresinprocessedby

EuropeanconvertersbycountryisshowninFigure4.

ThemajorcountriesareGermanyandItaly,whichtogether

accountforaround40%oftheEuropeanconversionto

plasticproducts.OfthenewMemberStates,Polandhas

thehighestplasticconversion,currentlyatabout�.0m

tonnesoftheEuropeantotal.TheCzechRepublicand

Hungaryareeachatabouthalfthis.Itisexpectedthatthe

convertingindustriesinmostofthenewMemberStates

willgrowstronglyinthecomingyears.

Allcountriessawagrowthinplasticsdemandin�006

comparedto�005.InWesternEurope(EU-�5,Norwayand

Switzerland)thisaveragedat�.5%,butsomecountries,

suchasAustria,GermanyandPortugal,achievedover6%.

InnewMemberStatessuchasPoland,theCzechRepublic

andHungarythegrowthwasabout��%,reflectingthe

highgrowthpotentialinthesecountries.

ProductionanddemandinEU�5+NO/CH

Figure�.WorldPlasticsProduction�006

Figure4. PlasticdemandbyconverterspercountryinEurope

(ktonnes/year)

Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)

Therearearoundtwentydistinctgroupsofplastics,each

withnumerousgradesavailabletoenabletheoptimum

choicetobemadeforeachspecificapplication.

Therearefivehigh-volumefamiliesofplastics.Theseare

polyethylene(includinglowdensity(LDPE),linearlow

density(LLDPE)andhighdensity(HDPE)),polypropylene

(PP),polyvinylchloride(PVC),polystyrene(solidPSand

expandableEPS)andpolyethyleneterephthalate(PET).

Togetherthebig5accountforaround75%ofallplastics

demandinEurope.During�006,alloftheabove

experiencedgrowthindemandintherangeof�to8%

(Figure5).

Packagingremainsthebiggestenduseforplasticsat�7%

followedbyBuildingandConstructionat��%.Automotive

andElectric&Electronicuse8%and6%respectively.

Finallymedical,leisureandotherapplicationsuse�8%

(Figure6).

Productionperpolymerandperapplication

Figure6.DemandbyconverterbyEndUseSegment

Figure5.ConverterDemandbyplastictype

Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)

Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)

�0

��

Reduce

PlasticssaveenergyandCO�emissionsduringtheuse

phase.Ifweweretosubstituteallplasticsinallapplications

withtheprevailingmixofalternativematerials,andlook

fromalifecycleperspective,then��.4millionadditional

tonnesofcrudeoilwouldberequiredeveryyear.The

correspondinggreenhousegasemissionsareequivalent

to�0%oftheEU�5Kyototargetfor�000-�0��.

Plasticscontributetowasteminimisationbymoreand

moreresource-effectivesolutions,includinglessenergy

toproduceplastics,lessplasticsmaterialtodoaparticular

jobandlesswasteofthecontainedgoods,whetheritis

foodorwateroracomputer.Examplesincludeever-lighter

bottlesforwater,softdrinksordetergentsorthinnerfilm

forpackaging.

Reuse

Plasticsarereusedinanumberofareas.Softdrinkbottles

ofplasticsarereusedindepositsystemsinanumberof

MemberStates,manyofusreusethecarrierbagfora

varietyofneeds,andplasticstraysusedinsupermarkets

offeraclean,robustandcost-effectivewayofmoving

vegetables,breadorfishfromproducertocustomer.

Recycle

Therecyclingofplasticsisincreasingyearbyyear.In

additiontothewellknownapplicationslikebottlesand

industrialpackagingfilm,newimportantdevelopments

areongoing,liketheRecovinylinitiativeundertheVinyl

�0�0programmeofthePVCindustry(coveringpipes,

windowframes,roofingmembranes,flooring).

Thisimportantdevelopmentmustcontinueandwe

mustdrivetowardsrealisingthefullpotentialofexisting

recyclingstreamsaswellasopeningupneweco-efficient

streamsforrecycling.

Recover

Howeverevenafterincludingthesegrowingapplications

therewillberesidualstreamswhicharenotappropriate

tomechanicallyrecycleforanumberofreasons:

- contaminatedplasticsthatrequiremoreenergy

(andwater)forcleaningthaniscontainedinthe

productitselfe.g.somefoodpackaging

- mixofdifferentmaterials(e.g.fromanautomotive

shredder)whichmakesseparationextremelycostly

- thefactthatplasticsarelightweightandextremely

diversemeanseachpieceofplasticsine.g.the

householdwastebinishardtodistinguishandsource

separate,andinmostcasesenergyintensiveand

veryexpensivetocollectandseparate.

Unlikeseveraltraditionalmaterials,plasticsofferan

additionalrecoveryoption–energyrecovery.Aslongas

weusefossilfuelsforenergyproductionontheearth,

plasticswillofferanadditionalvaluetosocietyforsuch

hydrocarbonmoleculesontheirwayfromoilwellto

energysource.

Landfillordisposalmustbeminimisedasitwastesa

valuableresourceandcontributestogreenhousegas

formation.UsedplasticsdonotcontributetoGHGemissions

inalandfill,astheydegradeveryslowly,butbyadding

calorificcontenttheyenablewastetoberecoveredin

energyrecoveryfacilitieswithbetterenergyefficiency.

Plasticsoffermanywaystocontributetosustainableuseofresources

The vision of the 4 partners for a forward-looking resource management approach:

•Minimisedisposalofplasticswastetolandfill

• Useamixofrecoveryoptionsforthebestenvironmentalandeconomicresultineverysituation

• Treatmentandrecoveryofwasteshouldmeetthedefinedenvironmentalstandards

• Overalllifecycleimpactshouldbetakenintoaccount

Bioplasticsandcarrierbags

Bioplasticsareimportantmembersoftheplasticsfamily,

addingnewfeaturestothediversespectrumofplastics

materials.

Bioplasticsmovedfirmlyintothepubliceyein�006.

Unfortunatelythetwoaspectsofbioplastics–the

functionalpropertyofdegradationandtheoriginofthe

feedstockforproduction–wereoftenmixed-up.

Degradableplasticsarewelcomedmembersoftheplastics

family,providingafunctionalpropertywhichisrequired

forcertainapplicationssuchascompostbags,mulchfilm

foragriculturalapplication,andpackagingforcateringand

forsurgery(tomentionjustafew).

Howevertheuseofdegradableplasticsmustbecarefully

evaluatede.g.nottocontaminaterecyclingloopslikethe

bottlestream.

Plasticscanbemadefromanyfeedstockcontaining

carbonandhydrogen.Currentlyfossilfuelsarethe

preferredfeedstockbutalreadytodayplasticsaremade

fromrenewableresourcese.g.sugarandcorn.Plastics

productionusesonly4%ofalloilandgas.Longbefore

ourreservesoffossilfeedstockwillrunout,thetightening

supply-demandbalancewillleadtohigherpriceswhich

willmovemajorfossilusers,liketransportandheating,

toalternativesources.

Increasinglyinthefuture,complementaryfeedstock

tofossilwillbeusedtosecureundisruptedsupplies

ofplasticstosociety.

Anapplicationforplasticswhichhasbeenparticularly

infocusinthebioplasticsdebateisthecarrierbag.

InFrancetheParliamenttriedtobannon-degradable

bags,buteventuallyoverturnedtheirdecision.Italian

politiciansarealsolookingintowaystolimituseof

non-degradablebags.

TheUKhasseenadebateinScotlandaroundwhether

tointroducealevy(thiswaseventuallyvoteddown),

andmorerecentlywehaveseenadebateinanumberof

cities,includingLondon,aboutwhethertobanthefreely-

distributedthincarrierbaginresponsetotheperceived

litteringofsuchbags.

Inthepublicdebatetheplasticbaghasbeenthevictim

ofirresponsiblelitterbehaviourinsociety,whichhas

unjustlydamagedthereputationofthishighlysustainable

optionforcarryingourshoppingbackhome.Inseveral

LCAstudiestheplasticcarrierbag,andparticularlythe

thick,multiusebag–“theBagforLife”-comesoutas

themostenvironmentally-friendlyoption.

��

��

Figure7illustratestheflowofplasticsfromconversionto

theend-of-lifephase.ThedataarevalidforEU�5+Norway

andSwitzerland.

Theconvertersused49.5milliontonnesofplasticsin

�006,up4%on�005.Ofallplasticsusedbyconsumers,

��.0milliontonnesendedupaspost-consumerwaste,

up�.�%on�005.

50%ofthepost-consumerusedplasticwasrecovered

and50%wenttodisposal.Ofthe��.5milliontonnes

recovered4.5milliontonneswererecycled–asmaterial

andfeedstock–and7.0milliontonneswererecovered

asenergy.

Theoverallmaterialrecyclingrateofpost-consumerplastics

in�006was�9.7%,withmechanicalrecyclingat�9.�%

(up�.5%pointover�005)andfeedstockrecyclingat0.6%

(down�%from�005).

Theenergyrecoveryratewasupby�.5%from�005to

�0.�%,reflectingthestricterlegislationonlandfillin

severalMemberStates.

In�006,��.5milliontonnesofplasticswerewastedin

landfill.Ifrecovered,theenergysaved–eitherbyavoiding

theproductionofmorevirginplasticorbyreplacingfossil

fuelforenergyproduction–wouldbesufficienttocover

50%oftheenergydemandofDenmark.

Plasticssupplychainfromcradletocradle

Figure7.Plasticfromcradletocradle(EU�5+NO/CH�006)

�4

Plasticscontinuetodecouplegrowthindemandandmaterialtolandfill

Despitea�%/yeargrowthoverthepastdecadeforpost-

consumerwastethequantitygoingtolandfillcontinuesto

declinebyabout�%/year.Figure8showsthehistoryfor

EU�5+NO/CHupto�005andforEU�5+NO/CHfrom�005.

Thegrowthofpost-consumerplasticwasteistheresultof

severaldrivers.Plasticscontinuetosubstitutealternative

materials,economicgrowthdrivesgreaterconsumption,

smallerhouseholdsrequiremorepackagingperperson

andmoreready-madesingle-portionmealsare

consumed.

Figure9outlinesthegrowthofbothmechanicalrecyclingand

energyrecovery.Overthelastdecadetheaverageannual

growthratehasbeenabout�0%.Mechanicalrecyclingsaw

asignificantincreasein�006,whichisexplainedbyhigher

plasticpricesandimprovedcollectionandsortingtechnology.

Feedstockrecyclinghasremainedflatoverthepast8-9years

butsawadeclinein�006duetoreducedconversionina

gasificationplantinGermany.Aflexiblelegalframework,

supportforinnovationandcooperationalongthevalue

chainwillbekeytodrivefurtherprogress.

Figure9.Strongcontinuedgrowthofrecyclingandenergyrecovery

x 1.

000

tonn

esx

1.00

0 to

nnes

Figure8.Continueddecouplingofplasticwasteandlandfill

Energyrecovery

Mechanicalrecycling

Feedstockrecycling

Totalpost-usewaste

Disposal

Progresstowardsdiversionfromlandfill

�5

Thematerialrecyclingandenergyrecoveryofpost-consumer

plasticswastevariessignificantlybycountry.Insome

countrieslikeSwitzerland,Germany,SwedenandDenmark

thereisvirtuallynolandfill–thesecountriesarevery

closetocompletingtheirdiversion-from-landfillstrategy.

AlsoBelgium,Austria,LuxembourgandtheNetherlands

recovermorethan80%oftheirpost-consumerplastic

waste.Ontheotherendofthescalewehaveseveralofthe

newMemberStatesbutalsotheUK,IrelandandGreece,

whoonlyrecoveraround�0%.

OneimportantobservationfromFigure�0isthatcountries

withhighrecoveryratesdowellonbothrecyclingand

energyrecovery.Wecanthereforeconfidentlystatethata

strategyincludingenergyrecoveryisnotcontradictoryto

achievinggoodrecyclingresults.Itsimplyillustratesthata

completeresourcemanagementstrategyneedstoaddress

both,asnocountryhasbeenableorislikelytobeableto

recycleallpost-consumerwaste!Theotherobservation

thatcanbedrawnisthatrecyclingperformanceisfairly

similaracrossmostoftheEU�5+NO/CHcountries.

IfweexcludesomeofthenewMemberStateswefind

theotherMemberStateswithinafairlynarrowrange.

Thislevelofrecyclingcanbeachievedbysettingup

systemsforrecyclingbottlesandindustrialpackagingfilm.

Somecountrieshaverecentlyintroducedtheirsystem

whileothershaveoperatedtheirsystemsforsometime.

Evenifthereisstillpotentialforgrowthine.g.bottle

recyclinginanumberofcountries,thefactthatcountries

withlongexperiencehavenotachievedmoresuggests

thatincreasingrecyclingwillbeincreasinglychallenging.

Recycling(mechanical+feedstock)increasedfrom�8to

�9.7%comparedto�005whileenergyrecoverygrew

from�9to�0.4%.Addingenergy-from-wastecapacity

isaverytime-consumingactivityinmostcountrieswith

complicatedplanningpermissionprocesses.Recycling,

ontheotherhand,isasmallerscaleactivitywhere

capacitycanbeaddedinsmallincrements,andquite

quicklywhenmarketconditionsareattractive.

Figure�0.Recyclingandenergyrecoveyratepercountry

Recycling EnergyRecovery

�6

Trendsinmechanicalrecycling

Thereportingofrecyclingperformanceinthisreportisdone

onaMemberStatelevel.Itreflectstheamountofmaterial

collectedforrecycling,whetherthismateriallatercrosses

borderswithintheEU,orissentoverseastocountriessuch

asChinaorIndia,orstaysinitscountryoforigin.

WithinEuropethereismuchcross-bordermovementof

materialforrecycling,whichreflectsthetradewithinthe

EU.Forexampletheproportionofimportedwastetreated

byrecyclersinSwitzerland,BelgiumandtheNetherlands

isintherangeof�5-45%.

Exportofpost-consumerplasticwastefromEU�5+NO/CH

continuedtoincreasetoanestimatedtotalof0.5million

tonnesin�006(up�5%over�005).Thisrepresents��%

ofallwastecollectedforrecycling–whichiscomparable

toothermaterials.

Ensuringthatrecyclingofexportedwastetakesplace

incertifiedandauthorisedfacilitiesisoftheutmost

importanceforthecredibilityoftheEUaswellasfor

consumerconfidence.

Thecollectionrateformechanicalrecyclingofpost-

consumerplasticswasteincreasedby�.5%over�005to

�9.�%in�006.Thisrepresentsanincreaseof0.7million

tonnes,givingaEU�5+NO/CHtotalof4.4milliontonnes.

Thisincreaseisfuelledbyhigherpolymerpricesand

improvedcollectionandsortingtechnology.Therecycling

capacityoftheEuropeanrecyclingindustryisestimated

tostillbehighertoenableallcollectedmaterialtobe

treatedinEurope.

Abigpartofthisincreasewasachievedthroughthe

increaseinpackagingstreamssuchasPETbottles,

industrialpackagingfilmandinPVCproductsviathe

programmeVinyl�0�0.

Asthereisstillthepotentialtocollectmorefromthe

streamsmentionedaboveacrossMemberStates,itis

importanttocontinueeffortsanddrivethesestreams

towardstheirfullpotential.

InadditioncountriesliketheUKareseekingincreased

recyclingofthemixedplasticsstream(i.e.thehousehold

plasticsstreamexcludingbottles).Theplasticsindustry

isengagedinthisinitiativeandsupportsextended

eco-efficientrecycling.

Howeverinfrastructureanddemographyvariesacross

MemberStates,andthereforesolutionswillnotbethe

sameindifferentcountries.ForexampleAustriaandthe

NetherlandshavetakentheoppositedecisiontotheUK

anddecidednottocollectmixedplasticsbutinsteadto

recoverthisstreamthroughenergyrecovery.

Plastic bottles are suitable for recycling Apackagingapplicationwithagoodrecyclingtrackrecord

istheplasticbottle.SuchbottlescanbemadeofPET,PE,

PPorPVC.

40%ofallPETbottlesavailableforcollectionwererecycled

in�006.Thisamountsto�.�milliontonnes/year.

ThecountriesinEU�5+NO/CHdemonstratehugevariations,

frombelow�0%forsomecountriestonearly70%for

AustriaorBelgiumbasedonnodepositsystem.

Incountrieswithdepositsystemsrecyclingratesofover

90%arebeingachieved.

Iftheperformanceofe.g.Belgiumcouldbematched,then

apotentialtoincreaserecyclingexistsofabout�million

tonnes/yacrossEU�5+NorwayandSwitzerland.

ThesysteminBelgiumisbasedonco-collectionofbottles,

metalcontainersanddrinkcartons.Bottlesareseparated

outinsortingplants.Recyclersthenreprocessthe

separatedplastics.

Asthequantityofrecycledbottlesincreases,thetraditional

marketsforreprocessedmaterial,fibreandstrapping,become

saturated.Workisunderwayinanumberofcountriesto

closethebottleloopi.e.tousethereprocessedPETand

HDPEfornewbottlesalsoforfoodapplications.Thisbottle-

to-bottlerecyclingwillopenupabigmarketforrecyclates

iftherequirementsfore.g.foodapprovalcanbemet.

Thequantitiesofrecycledwindow,andwindowrelated,

profilesbeingrecycledisincreasingexponentiallyeach

year.Thetotalof�0ktonnesin�005grewtosome

�7ktonnesin�006,anincreaseof84%.

Therearecollectionandrecyclingsystemsforthese

productsinmanyEuropeancountries:Austria,Belgium,

Denmark,France,Germany(Rewindo),Ireland,Italy,the

Netherlands,SpainandtheUKmanagedbyRecovinyl–

aninitiativeoperatedundertheVinyl�0�0program.

Asplasticwindowscanlastfordecadeswithoutproblems,

biggerquantitiesofwasteareonlyexpectedinthefuture.

Nevertheless,adequaterecyclingcapacitiesarealready

beingprovidedfor.

Inprofessionalrecyclingallplasticwindows,including

fittingsandglass,arepre-crushedinashredder.Bymeans

ofspecialseparatorsallmetalcomponentsandglassare

excludedfromthematerialflow.SubsequentlyallPVC,

whichatfirstexistsascoarsegrindingstockof�5-�5

millimetresindiameter,ishackledtofinegrainsizeina

cuttingmill.

Additionalseparation–andprocessing–stepsforquality

improvementfollowinline.ThecleanedPVC-gristis

subsequentlyheated,pressedthroughascreenand

granulated.Thisgranulateisthenusedasrawmaterial

forproductionofnewPVC-constructionproducts.

RecyclingofwastefromPVCwindowsincreasedbymorethan80%inoneyear

�7

�8

Trendsinfeedstockrecycling

Feedstockrecyclingwassignificantlyreducedin�006.

Investmentinfeedstockrecyclingfacilitiesremains

limited.Themostcommonistheuseoftreatedwaste

plasticsinsteadofoilorcokeasareducingagentinblast

furnaces.ThisisthepractiseonalargescaleinGermany.

InadditionVoestAustriahasaninstallationreadytouse

substitutedfuelssuchaspre-treatedwasteintheblast

furnace(upto�00.000tonnes).

Oneinterestingrecentdevelopmenthasbeentheuseof

anintegratednon-ferrousmetalsmelterforthetreatment

ofWEEEplasticswhichhavepreciousmetalcontent.

Againtheplasticsinusedwiringboardsactasareducing

agent.SuccessfultrialswerealsoheldinSwedenand

Belgium(detailsinreferences).Itislikelythatthiswillbe

replicatedatotherintegratednon-ferrousmetalsmelting

installations.

Technologicaldevelopmentisexpectedtooffernovelways

torecyclethebuildingblocksofplastics.Sectorslike

packaging,automotiveandE&Eproducelargequantities

ofmixedplasticsintheirend-of-lifestreams.Thiswill

attractresearchandtechnologicaldevelopmentwhich

mustbesupported.

�9

In�0067milliontonnes,or�0.�%ofthepost-consumer

plasticswaste,wasrecoveredasenergyinEU�5+Norway

andSwitzerland,up�.5%%against�005.

Municipalincineratorsremainthemostcommonmeans

ofenergyrecovery.

CapacityhasbeenaddedasaconsequenceoftheLandfill

DirectiveandcountrieslikeSwitzerland,Denmark,Germany

andSwedenhaveabove75%oftheirpost-consumerwaste

treatedinenergyrecoveryplants.Austria,theNetherlands

andBelgiumareallachievingaround60%.

Othercountrieshavelessthan�0%oftheirpost-consumer

wasterecoveredinenergyrecoveryplants.Thisincludes

notonlynewMemberStatesbutalsocountriessuchas

Finland,Greece,Ireland,SpainandtheUK.

Thereisgrowingrecognitionine.g.IrelandandtheUKthat

theenergyrecoverycapacityshouldbeincreased,butthe

planningprocessiscomplexandprotractedandplanning

permissionisfrequentlycontestedbyNGOsandlocal

interestgroups.

Anadditionalformofenergy-from-wasteistheproduction

ofsolidrecoveredfuel(SRF)throughconcentratinghigh

calorificwasteandconvertingitintoamaterialwitha

definedspecificationagreedbetweenuserandproducer.

Theuseofsuchsolidrecoveredfuelsisexpectedtogrow

aftertheintroductionofCENstandardsfortheclassification

ofthistypeoffuel.Thiskindof“concentrated”highcalorific

fuelhasahugepotentialinpartlyreplacingotherfuels

incementkilns,papermillsandpowerplants.Significant

SRFcapacityisbeingbuiltinGermanyandprogressedin

othercountries.Ineos-aplasticsproducer-isinthefinal

stagesofgainingpermissionforanSRF-fuelledpower

plantintheUKandaFinnishpowercompanyisbuilding

anewSRF-fedpowerstation.

Spittelauisacombinedheatandpowerincineratorlocated

inthecityCentreofVienna,only�kmfromtheStStephen

Cathedral.Theplantwasdevelopedinthelate�980sintoa

strikingdesignbyFriedensreichHundertwasser.Theplant

hasacapacityof�60.000tonnes/yearandproduces

66MW,withanefficiencyupto86%.Ofthetotaloutput

60MWgoestoheatingtheViennadistrictheatingsystem

and6MWisgeneratedaspowerfortheViennagrid.

Plasticsmakeuparound�0%byweightofthefeedbutas

muchas50%ofthecalorificcontentthankstotheirhigh

specificcalorificvalue.Whenthefluegasleavesthe��8m

highchimneyithaspassedthroughoneofthemost

effectivecleaningprocesses,ensuringfullcompliance

withtheWasteIncinerationDirective.

Inapublicpollsomeyearsafterstart-up�%wereagainst

wasteincinerationand8�%werepositivetowaste

incinerationanddistrictheating.Themagicrecipeof

investinginacomprehensiveeducationalcampaign,

securingthehighesttechnicalstandardsandchoosing

anoutstandingdesigncansurelybecopiedelsewhere.

Trendsinenergyrecovery

�0

Recoverytrendsbyapplication

Packaging

Thepackagingapplicationhasthelongesthistoryof

recoveryandcontributesabout6�%ofend-of-life

quantity.Notsurprisinglythemajorpartofwhatistoday

recycledthereforecomesfrompackaging.

Streamsofbottlesandindustrialfilmarebeing

mechanicallyrecycledto~40%acrossEU�5+NO/CH.

Cratesandboxesarerecycledatwellover90%.

Recyclingratesfortheremainingmixedplasticsarestill

low–below�0%acrossEU�5+NO/CH.

Intotalthecollectionforrecyclingofpost-consumer

packaginggrewin�006toanaverageof�7.4%,upfrom

�5.8%in�005.

Fig��showsthemapoverEuropewithEU�5+NO/CH

countriesbelow�5%(currentrequirement),below��.5%

(requirementfrom�008)andthoseabove��.5%.

Agricultural films

Agriculturalplasticswastesuchassilagefilmisagood

sourceformechanicalrecyclingasitismadefromalimited

rangeofplastics,mostlypolyolefins.Howeveroftenhigh

levelsofcontaminationbyearthposeatechnicaland

financialchallengetoeco-efficientrecyclingorrecovery.

Two-thirdsoftherecycledvolumeinEU�5plusNO/CH

comesfromthethreebiggestcountriesintonnageterms

-Germany,ItalyandSpain.

Automotive

Therecyclingrateforautomotiveplasticswastecontinued

toincreasetojustunder�0%in�006.Volkswagenwonan

environmentalawardfortheirSiConprocess-amechanical

processtoextractusablesecondaryrawmaterialsfrom

theresiduesfromvehiclesshreddedattheendoftheir

usefullife.Plantstousethistypeoftechnologyarebeing

builtandstartingupintheNetherlandsandinAustria.

Electrical & electronic

Recyclingintheelectricalandelectronicsectorislimited

bycomplexproductswithmaterialsintermingledinaway

whichmakessortinganintensiveandexpensiveactivity.

AnexampleofgrowingrecyclingintheE&Esectorisof

theinnerlinerofarefrigerator.Forthemajorityofwaste

streams,thermaltreatmentviafeedstockrecyclingorenergy

recoveryisthemostappropriateprocedure.

Thereisalsosomeuncertaintyabouttheactualvolumes

ofdiscardedE&Eequipment.Itcanbeassumedthat

someisexportedoutsideEurope.

Construction

Plasticsusedinconstructionareforlong-termuseandhence

donotgenerateasmuchwaste.Neverthelessincreased

recyclingisbeingachievedine.g.windowprofilesandpipes.

<�5%

�5-<��,5%

>=��,5%

notincluded

Figure��.

Theuseofplasticsisexpectedtocontinueandincrease,

drivenby:

• potentialforinnovation

• energysavingpotential–andpositivecontribution

toclimateprotection

• qualityoflifeenhancement

• enablingofaffordableproducts

Ourmostimportanttaskinthewastemanagementarea

istodivertcombustiblewastefromlandfill.Plastics

areparticularlyimportanttorecoverastheyoffermany

optionsincludingrecoveringthecalorificcontentofthe

material.Forrecovery,mechanicalrecyclingwillremain

thepreferredmethodforhomogeneousplasticswaste

streams,whereasforanumberofmixedstreamsdifferent

energyrecoveryoptionsarepreferable.

BothmethodssaveresourcesandCO�emissions.Thelast

�0yearshaveseenaremarkablechangeintheapproachto

wastemanagementacrossEurope.Asaresult,therehas

beenasignificantincreaseintherecyclingofallmaterials

aswellasmorerecoveryofenergyfromcombustiblewaste.

Thesituationwithrespecttoplasticsmaterialsisno

exception,andasthisreportdemonstrates,bothrecycling

andenergyrecoveryofplasticswastecontinuetoincrease.

WhathasEuropelearntandwhatabouttheFuture?

��

References

�. ThewebsiteoftheEuropeanUnionprovidesaccess

todetailsofallpoliciesandlegislation.Formatters

relatingtotheenvironmentsee:

http://europa.eu/pol/env/index_en.htm

http://europe.eu.int/pol/env/index_en.htm

�. Wastemanagementoptionsandclimatechange,

ReporttotheEuropeanCommission,DGEnvironment,

AEATechnologyplc,�00�.

�. RecyclingandRecoveryofPlasticsEd.Johannes

Brandrup,PublishedbyHanser,�996,ISBN�56990-��4-�

4. Bestpracticesforthemechanicalrecyclingofpost-user

plastics,TNOInstituteofIndustrialTechnology,

TheNetherlands,published�000,

TNO-report00PO89�HDG

5. Assessingtheeco-efficiencyofplasticspackaging

wasterecovery,PlasticsEurope(APME)Summary

Report,published�000,Reference80�4

6. RecoveryoptionsforplasticspartsfromEndofLife

vehicles-aneco-efficiencyassessment,PlasticsEurope

(APME)Summaryreportpublished�00�,

Reference804�

7. Eco-efficiencyofElectricalandElectronicEquipment

(WEEE),PlasticsEuropeFinalReport,Publishedby

PlasticsEuropeDeutschlande.V.�/�005

8. EnergyrecoveryfromgreenhousePEfilm,

PlasticsEurope(APME)Summaryreportpublished�000

9. Co-combustionofend-of-lifeplasticsinaMSW

combustor.Asummaryoverviewoftrials�99�-�998.

PlasticsEurope(APME)TechnicalReport,�999

�0.Conservingnaturalresourcesviacoalsubstitution

PlasticsEurope (APME)Summaryreportpublished�00�,

Reference80�9

��.EnergyfromWastes,BrianPrice,FinancialTimesEnergy

PublishingISBN�85��46�95,published�996

��.Gasification-thekeytoacleanerfuture,DavidJ.White,

FinancialTimesEnergyPublishing,ISBN�8408���77,

published�000

��.Thecontributionofplasticsproductstoresource

efficiency,GUAConsultancyGmbH,Vienna.Fullreport

publishedJanuary�005

�4.Thecharacteristicsofplastics-richwastestreams

fromendoflifeelectricalandelectronicequipment,

publishedJanuary�006.

Copiesofmanyofthesereportsandothertechnological

studiesrelatedtoplasticsandtherecoveryofplastics

wastecanbefoundonthewebsiteofPlasticsEurope

(http://www.plasticseurope.org).

��

Whoarewe?

TheEuropeanplasticsindustrymakesasignificant

contributiontothewelfareinEuropebyenablinginnovation,

creatingqualityoflifetocitizensandfacilitatingresource

efficiencyandclimateprotection.Morethan�.6million

peopleareworkinginabout50.000companies(mainly

smallandmediumsizedcompaniesintheconvertingsector)

tocreateaturnoverinexcessof�80billion €peryear.

PlasticsEuropeisoneoftheleadingEuropeantrade

associationswithcentersinBrussels,Frankfurt,London,

Madrid,MilanandParis.WearenetworkingwithEuropean

andnationalplasticsassociationsandhavemorethan�00

membercompanies,producingover90%ofallpolymers

acrosstheEU�7memberstatesplusNorway,Switzerland,

CroatiaandTurkey.

EuPC -theEuropeanPlasticsConverters-isthe

professionalrepresentativebodyofplasticsconverters

withinEuropewhoseactivityembracesallsectorsofthe

plasticsconvertingindustryincludingrecycling.Theoverall

objectiveistodefendandpromotetheinterestsofthe

Europeanplasticsconvertingindustry

• Voicingtheindustry’sopiniontowardsEuropeanand

internationalinstitutionsandnon-governmental

organisations;

• Maintainingrelationshipswithcorresponding

organisationsinEuropeandworldwide;

• Carryingoutbusinesssurveys,studiesandresearch

projectsinallaspectsoftheplasticsprocessingindustry.

EuPR-theEuropeanPlasticsRecyclers-istheprofessional

representativebodyofplasticsrecyclersinEurope.

EuPRpromotesplasticsmechanicalrecyclingandconditions

thatenableprofitableandsustainablebusiness,while

offeringaserviceplatformtoitsmembers.EuPRmembers

bringtogether85%oftheEuropeanrecyclingcapacity

processingmorethan�.5milliontonnesofcollected

plasticsperyear.

EPRO -theEuropeanAssociationofPlasticsRecyclingand

RecoveryOrganisations-istheassociationofthenational

organisationschargedwithorganisingandpromoting

recyclingandrecoveryofplasticsthroughoutEurope.

EPROprovidesauniqueforumfortheleadingspecialists

inplasticswastemanagementfromacrossEuropeto

exchangelearning,developintegratedplasticspackaging

wastestrategiesandsupporttechnologicaldevelopment.

Thematerialcontainedinthispublicationisforinformation

only.Theabovepartnershavecompiledthepagesinthis

publicationverycarefully,andtheinformationplacedinthis

publicationisofferedinutmostgoodfaithandisbelieved

tobecorrect.

��

AvenueE.vanNieuwenhuyse4/�

B-��60Brussels-Belgium

Phone+��(0)�675��97

Fax +��(0)�675�9�5

www.plasticseurope.org

Thematerialcontainedinthispublicationisforinformationonly.PlasticEurope hascompiledthepagesinthispublicationvery

carefully,andtheinformationplacedinthispublicationisofferedinutmostgoodfaithandisbelievedtobecorrect.

AvenuedeCortenbergh,66

P.OBox4

�000Brussels,Belgium

Phone+���74�968�

Fax +���7��6���

www.plasticsrecyclers.eu

RueduCommerce��

�000Brussels,Belgium

Phone+���4568449

Fax +���4568��9

www.epro-plasticsrecycling.org

AvenuedeCortenbergh,66

P.OBox4

�000Brussels,Belgium

Phone+���7��4��4

Fax +���7��4��8

www.plasticsconverters.eu

EuropeanPlasticConverters