The Compelling Facts About Plastics 2007

An analysis of plastics production, demand and recovery for 2007 in Europe

Published in October 2008

Methodologyandchanges page 4
007Ataglance page 5
Plasticsprotecttheclimate,boostresourceefficiencyandgiveusasaferlife page 6
Productionofandmarketdemandforplasticsinaglobalcontext page 8
ProductionanddemandinEU7+NO/CH page 9
ConverterDemandperpolymerandapplication page 0
ArevisedWasteFrameworkDirective(WFD)pavingthewayfora page
resourceefficientEurope
Plasticscontributeinmanywaystosustainableuseofresources page
Biobased&BiodegradablePlastics:Bioplastics page
Plasticssupplychainfromcradletocradle page 4
Plasticscontinuetodecouplegrowthindemandandmaterialtolandfill page 5
Slowprogresstowardsdiversionfromlandfill page 6
Trendsinrecycling page 7
-Plasticbottlesaresuitableforrecycling page 7
-RecyclingofPVCreaches50,000tonnesayear page 8
PackagingRecyclingBeyondtheBottle page 9
Trendsinenergyrecovery page 0
PlasticProducts,ApplicationsandGoodsenablersofinnovationinsociety page
Recoverytrendsbyapplication page
Whoarewe? page
Tableofcontents
Methodologyandchanges
Thisbrochureon007production,demandandrecoveryis
theeighteenthannualpublicationbythemanufacturersof
plasticsinEuropeandpartners.
Thepurposeofthisbrochureistoprovideanoverviewof
thedevelopmentofplasticsfromproduction,overtheir
useinawidevarietyofapplicationstotheprogressmade
torecovertheplasticsattheirend-of-lifephase.
PlasticsEuropesMarketResearchandStatisticsGroup
(PEMRG)providedtheinputonproductionofanddemand
fortheplasticsrawmaterials.
Thedatafortheend-of-lifephasewascollectedina
plasticsvaluechainpartnershipinvolvingPlasticsEurope,
EuPC(theEuropeanPlasticsConverters),EuPR(the
EuropeanPlasticsRecyclers)andEPRO(theEuropean
AssociationofPlasticsRecyclingandRecovery
Organisations).
ConsulticMarketing&IndustrieberatungGmbHhas
complementedtheworktoassessthewastegeneration
andrecoverydataforEU7+NO/CH.
Forrecoverydata,officialstatisticshavebeenused
wheneveravailablefromEuropeanornationalauthorities
andwastemanagementcompaniesororganisations.
Whererequiredresearchorknowhowfromconsultants
hasbeenusedtocompletethepicture.
Thefigurescannotalwaysbedirectlycomparedtothose
publishedearlierduetochangesintheestimatesofboth
marketdemandandthewastegenerated.However,the
overalldifferencesaresmallandarevisionofearlier
estimateshasbeenmadetoenablethehistoricalprogress
tobetrackedofboththeuseandrecoveryofplastics
acrossEuropeduringthelastdecade.Thecountries
coveredbythisdatachangestofollowEUenlargement,
henceRomaniaandBulgariaareincludedfrom007
onwards.Whenmakingpercentagecomparisonswith
006thisisdonebyincludingthesetwocountries
althoughtheywerenotincludedinthe006report.
Also,asmanyfiguresaretheresultofassessments
applyingthesamedefinitionsacrossEU7+NO/CHthey
candeviatefromcorrespondingnumbersquotedbyother
sources,astheymayusedifferentdefinitionsorhave
madealternativeassessments.
4
EuropeanPlasticConverters
007Ataglance
Plastics continue to be a global success story with Europe
(EU27+Norway (NO) and Switzerland (CH)) remaining a major
manufacturing region, producing about 25% of the total estimated
worldwide plastics production of 260 million tonnes.
For the whole of the plastics industry producers, converters
and machinery manufacturers the overall turnover in EU27+NO/
CH 2007 was in excess of 300 billion euro, with the industry
employing more than 1.6 million people.
The demand by converters for plastics in Europe (EU27+NO/CH)
increased from 51 million tonnes in 2006 to 52.5 million tonnes in
2007, an increase of 3%.
The recovery rate of post-consumer end-of-life plastics now stands
at 50% in EU27+NO/CH (up 1% point on the previous year) and
disposal stands at 50% (down by 1% point compared to 2006).
The recycling rate for post-consumer plastics has increased to
20.4% - up from 19.5% in 2006. Energy recovery remains unchanged
at 29.2%.
Nine of the EU27+NO/CH states recover more than 80% of their
used plastics one more than last year (Norway). 7 of these states
are among the top 8 best performers for recycling and together they
represent the top 9 states for energy recovery. Their 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.
The decoupling in EU27+NO/CH of the growth in used plastics
and the volume of plastics waste going to disposal continued.
Used plastics going to disposal remained stable at 12.4 million
tonnes/year against a growth in plastics use of 3%.
5
6
Plasticsplayasignificantroleacrosstheenvironmental,
societalandeconomicdimensionsofsustainable
development.Ourmodernlifestylewouldnotbepossible
withoutplastics.Plasticsmeetthedemandsofsociety
byenablingtheeco-efficientmanufactureofnumerous
valuableproductssuchasprotectivepackaging,lightweight
andsafetycomponentsincars,mobilephones,insulation
materialsinbuildings,medicaldevices,andkeycomponents
forapplicationsasdiverseasrenewableenergyproduction
andprotectioninextremeconditions.
Climate protection
Incars,around60%byweightoftheplasticsusedenhance
comfortandsafetywhile40%areusedinapplications
contributingtoweightreduction,resultinginconsiderable
fuelsavingsandareductioninCO

emissions.Theweight
reductionenabledbytheplasticinamoderncarsavesover
500loffueloveritslifetime.
InanAirbus80,highperformanceplasticcomposites
reducethepassengercostperseatthroughlowerweight
andconsequentlylowerfuelconsumption.
Homesandbuildingsarekeptwarm(orcool!)byplastics
insulation.Withabout40%ofallprimaryenergyconsumed
globallyusedinbuildings,optimuminsulationhasbecome
oneofthepriorityinitiativestoreachtheKyototargets.
Anincreasinguseoflightweightplasticspackagingreduces
boththeweightofthetransportandtheproportionof
thepackagedgoodsthatarewastedbothofwhichreduce
CO

emissions.
Plasticsenabletherotorsinwindturbinestobelonger
andmoreeffectiveandcomponentsinphotovoltaicpanels
toincreasetheirefficiency.
Resource efficiency
Withoutplasticspackaging,ithasbeenestimatedthatthe
tonnageofalternativepackagingmaterialswouldincrease
byafactorof4,emissionsofgreenhousegasesbyafactor
of,costsbyafactorof.9,energyusebyafactorof.5,
andwastebyafactorof.6involume.Allthesefactors
arebasedonthecurrentsituation.Withtheuseofplastics
expectedtocontinuetoincreaseinthefuturetheeffectwill
bebiggeryear-by-year.
Inaddition,plasticspackagingsavesresourcesby
protectingfoodinitsjourneyfromfarmtosupermarket
andintoourkitchens.Thiscanbeillustratedinanumberof
ways:inthedevelopingworld50%offoodiswastedfrom
farmtokitchen;oncetheyhavereachedthesupermarket
loosely-packedfruitsandvegetablescreate6%more
wastecomparedtopre-packedproduce;.5gofplastics
filmextendstheshelflifeofacucumberfromto4days.
Some0gofmultilayerfilminaMAP(modifiedatmospheric
packaging)packageformeatextendstheshelflifefroma
fewdaystomorethanaweek.TheamountofCO

usedto
produceasingleportionofmeatisabout00timesbigger
thanthatusedtoproducethemultilayerfilm.
Innovativedesignusesplasticsfortheouterdrumof
washingmachines,reducingbothwaterandenergy
consumption.
Plasticsprotecttheclimate,boostresource
effciencyandgiveusasaferlife
Plasticpipescansecuresafe,leak-freeandefficient
transportofdrinkingwaterandsewagewithoutwastingor
contaminatingthisincreasinglyscarceresource.
Plastics give us a safer life
Plasticsprotectusfrominjuryinnumerousways,whether
weareinthecar,workingasafirefighterorskiing.
Airbagsinacararemadeofplastics,thehelmetandmuch
oftheprotectiveclothingforamotorcyclistisbasedon
plastics,anastronautssuitmustsustaintemperatures
from-50degreesCelsiusto+0degreesandthe
fire-fightersrelyuponplasticsclothingwhichprotects
againsthightemperatures,ventilatesandareflexibleto
workin.
Plasticssafeguardourfoodanddrinkfromexternal
contaminationandthespreadofmicrobes.Plastics
flooringandfurnitureareeasytokeepcleantohelp
preventthespreadofbacteriaine.g.hospitals.
Inthemedicalareaplasticsareusedforbloodpouches
andtubing,artificiallimbsandjoints,contactlenses
andartificialcornea,stitchesthatdissolve,splintsand
screwsthathealfracturesandmanyotherapplications.
Incomingyearsnanopolymerswillcarrydrugsdirectly
todamagedcellsandmicro-spiralswillbeusedtocombat
coronarydisease.Artificialbloodbasedonplasticsis
beingdevelopedtocomplementnaturalblood.
7
8
Atrackrecordofcontinuousinnovationhasdrivenaglobal
averageincreaseinproductionandconsumptionofabout
9%everyyearsince950.Fromaround.5milliontonnes
in950,thetotalglobalproductionofplasticsgrewto
60milliontonnesin007asshowninFigure.
Ananalysisofplasticmaterialsconsumptiononaper
capitabasisshowsthatthishasnowgrownto
approximately00kginNAFTAandWesternEurope,with
thepotentialtogrowtowards40kgpercapitaby05.
Thehighestpotentialforgrowthcanbefoundinthe
rapidlydevelopingpartsofAsia(excludingJapan),where
currentlythepercapitaconsumptionisonlyaround0kg.
IntheEuropeancontext,itisthenewMemberStates
whichareexpectedtoseethebiggestpercentageincrease
astheireconomiesdevelop.Theircurrentaverageper
capitaconsumption,between50and55kg,isalittlemore
thanhalfofthatoftheoldMemberStates(Figure).
Productionofandmarketdemandforplasticsinaglobalcontext
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Mio t
1950: 1.5
Europe
(WE + CEE)
2007:65
1976: 50
1989: 100
2002: 200
2006: 245
World
2007: 260
Includes Thermoplastics, Polyurethanes, Thermosets, Elastomers,
Adhesives, Coatings and Sealants and PP-Fibers. Not included PET-,
PA- and Polyacryl-Fibers
Figure.WorldPlasticsProduction950-007
Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)
1980 2005 CAGR in % 2005 - 2015e 2015e
Total World
4.3%
45
11
30
4.1 %
Western Europe
3.2 %
Central Europe
+ CIS
7.3 %
Latin America
4.3%
Middle East / Africa
4.1%
Japan
1.9 %
Asia w/o Japan
6.0 %
139
105
46
32
7
136
99
40
16
10
3
36
20
2
48
24
9
108
89
50
21
NAFTA
2.8 %
Figure.Plasticdemandbyconverterspercapitaperregion
Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)
EU7+NO/CHrepresent5%oftheglobalplastic
productionwithabout65milliontonnes/year,slightly
aboveNAFTAat%.WithinEurope,theplasticproduction
facilitiesarewellspread.Germanyisthemajorproducer,
accountingfor7.5%ofglobalproduction,followedby
theBenelux(4.5%),France(%),Italy(%)andthe
UKandSpain(.5%)(Figure).

PlasticsdemandbyconvertersinEU7+Norwayand
Switzerlandwas5.5milliontonnesin007.Thedemand
expressedastonnageofvirginresinprocessedby
EuropeanconvertersbycountryisshowninFigure4.
ThemajorcountriesareGermanyandItaly,whichtogether
accountforaround40%oftheEuropeanconversionto
plasticproducts.OfthenewMemberStates,Polandhas
thehighestplasticconversion,currentlyatabout.5m
tonnesoftheEuropeantotal.TheCzechRepublicand
Hungaryareeachatabouthalfthislevel.Itisexpected
thattheconvertingindustriesinmostofthenewMember
Stateswillgrowstronglyinthecomingyears.
ProductionanddemandinEU7+NO/CH
urepe
(W + C)
zy.e%
6y Mie t
z6o Mio t
5pain
1.%
0ermany
.%
Italy
z.o%
0k
1.%
China
1.o%
Rest of Asia
16.%
Middle fast, Africa
8.o%
hAf1A
z.o%
Latin America
q.o%
|apan
.%
france
.o%
enelux
q.%
0ther U z+k0, CB
y.e%
CI5
.o%
Austrla
8elglum 8 Lux.
8ulgarla
Cyprus
Czech kepubllc
uenmark
Fstcnla
Flnland
France
Cermany
Creece
Fungary
lreland
ltaly
Latvla
Llthuanla
Malta
hetherlands
Pcland
Pcrtugal
kcmanla
Slcvakla
Slcvenla
Spaln
Sweden
uK
hcrway
Swltzerland
o
z;o
1
1o
1o
6o
140
625
5350
12250
865
880
330
8315
190
240
10
2010
2350
825
645
365
210
4785
880
4350
275
890
Figure.WorldPlasticsProduction007
Figure4. Plasticdemandbyconverters:breakdownbycountryin

Europe(ktonnes/year)
Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)
Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)
9
Therearearoundtwentydistinctgroupsofplastics,each
withnumerousgradesavailabletoenabletheoptimum
choicetobemadeforeachspecificapplication.
Therearefivehigh-volumefamiliesofplastics.Theseare
polyethylene(includinglowdensity(LDPE),linearlow
density(LLDPE)andhighdensity(HDPE)),polypropylene
(PP),polyvinylchloride(PVC),polystyrene(solidPS
andexpandableEPS)andpolyethyleneterephthalate
(PET).Togetherthebig5accountforaround75%ofall
plasticsdemandinEurope.During007,alloftheabove
experiencedgrowthindemandintherangeof0.5to
7.5%-withanaverageof%(Figure5).
Packagingremainsthebiggestend-useforplasticsat7%
followedbyBuildingandConstructionat%.Automotive
andElectrical&Electronicuse8%and6%respectively.
Finallymedical,leisureandotherapplicationsuse8%
(Figure6).
ConverterDemandperpolymerandapplication
0thers
1%
P0R
%
Pf1
%
P5, fP5
8%
PP
18%
R0Pf
1z%
L0Pf, LL0Pf
1%
z. Mio t
f0z+h0, CR incl. 0ther Plastics (6- Mio.t)
PvC
1z%
Figure6.DemandbyconverterbyEndUseSegment
0thers
z8%
uildin & Construction
z1%
Packain
%
f & f
6%
Automotive
8%
.JPU
f0z+h0, CR incl. 0ther Plastics (6- Mio.t)
Figure5.ConverterDemandperpolymerandapplication
Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)
Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)
0

ArevisedWasteFrameworkDirective(WFD)pavingthe
wayforaresourceeffcientEurope
TheEUinstitutionsfinallyreachedanagreementin008
ontherevisedWasteFrameworkDirective(WFD).
TheWFDprovidesaframeworktodrivewaste
managementpracticesintheEU.Therevisionwasbadly
neededtobringlegalclarityinanumberofimportant
areas.InsummarytherevisedWFDprovidesastrongdrive
forresourceefficiencyanddiversionofwastefromlandfill.
Underpinningthisistherecognitionofthe5stepwaste
hierarchyasapriorityordertobeappliedflexiblyusinglife
cyclethinkingtoalloweachwastestreamtobehandled
inthebestenvironmentalway,consideringeconomic
viabilityandtechnicalfeasibility.
Thehierarchyforimprovingresourceefficiencyis
(indescendingpriorityorder): reduce
reuse
recycle
recover
disposal
Thelogicunderpinningthehierarchyisthatthemost
resource-efficientapproachisnottogeneratethewaste
inthefirstplaceortocreateaslittleaspossible.
Thenextbestoptionisreusei.e.usinganarticleover-and-
overagain,likeabeveragecrateoramulti-useshopping
bag.Ifreuseisnotfeasiblethenproductsshouldbe
recycled,providedthatthisismoreeco-efficientfrom
alifecycleperspectivethanrecovery.Thelastresortis
disposalwhichshouldbeminimised.
ThenewWFDdefinesrecyclingbroadly,whichwillstimulate
furtherdevelopmentofinnovativerecyclingsolutions,
expandingfromtraditionalmechanicalrecyclingto
encompassrecyclingofplasticschemicalbuildingblocks
foruseasarawmaterial.Thisoffersaninnovationupside
fortheEuropeanrecyclingindustrytoexplorenewwaysof
usingresourcesmoreefficientlythanrecoveryorlandfill.
Extremelydemandingrecyclingtargetshavealsobeenset
forhouseholdanddemolitionwaste,whichwillrequire
toughmeasuresinmanyMemberStatesbutwillalsoact
asadrivertominimisewastetolandfill.
Alandmarkchangeisthatefficientenergy-from-wastewill
nowbeclassifiedasrecoveryratherthandisposal,and
asitisonestepabovelandfillitwillcreatestrongdrivers
insociety.Aclimatecorrectionfactorwillbedefinedto
ensurethatcountrieswithwarmerclimateswillstillhave
agoodopportunitytomeettheenergyefficiencycriteria.
Broadly-speakingtherevisedWFDwillprovidea
frameworkwhichwillenableimprovedrecyclingofplastics
bothmechanicalandfeedstock-viainnovative,
eco-efficienttechnologies.High-calorificwasteplastics
willbeimportanttohelpenergy-from-wasteplantsmeet
theefficiencycriteriasetforclassificationasrecovery.
Innovativenewplastics-enabledsolutionswillsave
resourcesthroughapplicationssuchaspackaging,bothby
reducingwasteandbylight-weightingthepackagingitself.
Plasticsareresource-efficientmaterialsandwillplayakey
roleindrivingaresource-efficientEurope.

Reduce
PlasticssaveenergyandCO

emissionsduringtheuse
phase.Ifweweretosubstituteallplasticsinallapplications
withtheprevailingmixofalternativematerials,andlook
fromalifecycleperspective,then.4millionadditional
tonnesofcrudeoilwouldberequiredeveryyear.
Thecorrespondinggreenhousegasemissionsareequivalent
to0%oftheEU5Kyototargetfor000-0.
Plasticscontributetowasteminimisationbyofferingmore
andmoreresource-effectivesolutions,includinglower
energyconsumptionduringproduction,areductionin
theplasticsmaterialneededtodoaparticularjoband
lesswasteofthepackagedgoods,whetheritisfoodor
wateroracomputer.Examplesincludeever-lighterbottles
forwater,softdrinksordetergentsorthinnerfilmfor
packaging.
Reuse
Plasticsarereusedinanumberofareas.Plasticssoft
drinkbottlesarereusedindepositsystemsinanumber
ofMemberStates,manyofusreusethecarrierbagfora
varietyofneeds,andplasticstraysusedinsupermarkets
offeraclean,robustandcost-effectivewayofmoving
vegetables,breadorfishfromproducertocustomer.
Recycle
Therecyclingofplasticsisincreasingyearbyyear.
Inadditiontothewellknownapplicationssuchas
bottlesandindustrialpackagingfilm,newimportant
developmentsareongoing,liketheRecovinylinitiative
undertheVinyl00programmeofthePVCindustry
(coveringpipes,windowframes,roofingmembranes,
andflooring).
AnotherstreamwhichisexploredinannumberofMember
Statesisthemixedpackagingplastics
Thisimportantdevelopmentmustcontinueandwe
mustdrivetowardsrealisingthefullpotentialofexisting
recyclingstreamsaswellasopeningupneweco-efficient
streamsforrecycling.
Recover
Howeverevenafterincludingthesegrowingapplications
therewillberesidualstreamswhicharenotappropriate
tomechanicallyrecycleinaneco-efficientway:
Forthesestreamsplasticsofferanadditionalrecovery
optionenergyrecovery.Aslongasweusefossilfuels
forenergyproduction,plasticswillofferanadditional
valuetosocietyasplasticsenablemanyvitalapplications
duringthelifecycleofthesehydrocarbonmoleculeson
theirjourneyfromoilwelltoenergysource.
Landfillordisposalmustbeminimisedasitwastesa
valuableresourceandcontributestogreenhousegas
formation.
Plasticscontributeinmanywaystosustainable
useofresources
The vision of the 4 partners for a forward-looking resource management approach:
Minimisedisposalofplasticswastetolandfill
Useamixofrecoveryoptionsforthebestenvironmentalandeconomicresult
ineverysituation
Treatmentandrecoveryofwasteshouldmeetthedefinedenvironmentalstandards
Overalllifecycleimpactshouldbetakenintoaccount

Biobased&BiodegradablePlastics:Bioplastics
Bioplasticsarewelcomedasnewmembersoftheplastics
family,addingnewfeaturestothediversespectrumof
plasticsmaterials.
Unfortunatelythetwoaspectsofbioplasticsthe
functionalpropertyofdegradationandtheoriginofthe
feedstockforproductionareoftenmixed-up.
Degradableplasticsprovideafunctionalpropertywhichis
requiredforcertainapplicationssuchascompostbags,
mulchfilmforagriculturalapplications,andpackaging
forcateringandforsurgery(tomentionjustafew).
Howevertheuseofdegradableplasticsmustbecarefully
evaluatedinordertoensurethat,forexample,theydonot
contaminaterecyclingloopssuchasthebottlestream.
Plasticscanbemadefromanyfeedstockcontaining
carbonandhydrogen.Currentlyfossilfuelsarethe
preferredfeedstockbutalreadytodayplasticsaremade
fromrenewableresourcessuchassugarandcorn.Plastics
productionusesonly4%ofalloilandgas.Longbefore
ourreservesoffossilfeedstockhaverunout,the
tighteningsupply-demandbalancewillleadtohigher
priceswhichwillmovemajorfossilfuelusers,like
transportandheating,toalternativesources.Increasingly
inthefuture,complementaryfeedstocktofossillike
biomassorothercarbonsources-willbeusedtosecure
undisruptedsuppliesofplasticstosociety.
Bio-basedplasticstodayhaveashareoflessthan%of
thetotalplasticsmarketbuthaveexpectedhighgrowthrates.
Anapplicationforplasticswhichhasbeenparticularlyin
focusinthebioplasticsdebateisthecarrierbag.
Inthepublicdebatetheplasticbaghasbeenthevictimof
irresponsiblelitterbehaviourinsociety,whichhas
unfairlydamagedthereputationofthishighlysustainable
optionforcarryingourshoppingbackhome.Inseveral
LCAstudiestheplasticcarrierbag,andparticularlythe
thick,multiusebagtheBagforLife-comesoutasthe
mostenvironmentally-friendlyoption.
Thisdebateisanexampleofthemisunderstandingaround
thetermbiodegradability.Biodegradability-aswithany
otherformofenhanceddegradationofplastics-doesnot
resolvethelitterissue,asthisprocesscantake8months
ormoredependingontheconditionsofthe(industrial)
compostingfacility.
All-in-allthedebateonbiobasedand/orbiodegradable
plasticshasbecomemorefactualin007.Stakeholders
areincreasinglyawareofthemultitudeofconsiderations
thathavetobemadetocorrectlypositionaproduct.

Figure7illustratestheflowofplasticsfromconversionto
theend-of-lifephase.ThedataisvalidforEU7+Norway
andSwitzerland.
Theconvertersused5.5milliontonnesofplasticsin
007,up%on006.Ofallplasticsusedbyconsumers,
4.6milliontonnesendedupaspost-consumerwaste,
upfrom.7milliontonnesin006.
50%ofthepost-consumerusedplasticwasrecoveredand
50%wenttodisposal.Ofthequantityrecovered,5million
tonneswererecycledasmaterialandfeedstockand
7.milliontonneswererecoveredasenergy.
Theoverallmaterialrecyclingrateofpost-consumer
plasticsin007was0.4%,withmechanicalrecyclingat
0.%(up.%pointsfrom006)andfeedstockrecycling
at0.%(down0.%pointsfrom006).
Theenergyrecoveryrateremainedstableat9.%
reflectinghowthesensitivityandplanningcomplexityof
thisresourcemanagementtechnologyhasledtoslow
progressinsociety.
In007,.4milliontonnesofplasticswerewastedin
landfill.
Plasticssupplychainfromcradletocradle
Figure7.Plasticfromcradletocradle(EU5+NO/CH007)
Converter
demand of
f0z+h0JCR
z. Mt
0thers
z8%
Packain
%
Construction
z1%
Automotive
8%
fJf
6%
Consumer
demand
PC
Waste
zq.6 Mt
fxport
Import
fxport
Import
Recyclin fnery recovery
.o Mt
zo.q%
.z Mt
z.z%
qo% short service life
and 6o% lon
o%
o%
Recovery
1z.z Mt
0isposal
1z.q Mt
4
5
Plasticscontinuetodecouplegrowthindemandand
materialtolandfll
Despitea%/yeargrowthoverthepastdecadeforpost-
consumerwastethequantitygoingtolandfillhasremained
stable.Figure8showsthehistoryforEU5+NO/CHupto
004andforEU7+NO/CHfrom005.Thegrowthof
post-consumerplasticwasteistheresultofseveraldrivers.
Plasticscontinuetosubstitutealternativematerials,
economicgrowthdrivesgreaterconsumption,smaller
householdsrequiremorepackagingperpersonandmore
ready-madesingle-portionmealsareconsumed.
Figure9outlinesthegrowthofbothmechanicalrecycling
andenergyrecovery.Overthelastdecadetheaverage
annualgrowthratehasbeenabout0%.Mechanical
recyclingquantitysawanothergoodincreaseof%in007
whichisexplainedbyhigherplasticpricesandimproved
collectionandsortingtechnology.
Growthinenergyrecoveryquantityslowedto%asvery
littlecapacitywasaddedin007.
Moreinvestmentinenergyrecoveryfacilitiesisneededto
divertstreamswhichcannotbeeco-efficientlyrecycledfrom
landfill.
Figure9.Strongcontinuedgrowthofrecyclingandenergyrecovery
x

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Change Irem U:y+z te Uz+z in zeey
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Figure8.Continueddecouplingofplasticwasteandlandfll
Energyrecovery
Mechanicalrecycling
Feedstockrecycling
Totalpost-usewaste
Disposal
6
Slowprogresstowardsdiversionfromlandfll
Swltzerland
uenmark
Cermany
Sweden
8elglum
Austrla
hetherlands
Luxemburg
hcrway
France
ltaly
Slcvakla
Czech kep.
Spaln
Flnland
uK
Fungary
Slcvenla
Pcrtugal
Latvla
lreland
kcmanla
Pcland
Fstcnla
8ulgarla
Malta
Creece
Cyprus
Llthuanla
o% zo% o% 6o% 8o% 1oo%
Figure0.Recyclingandenergyrecoveryratepercountry Recyclingrate007 EnergyRecoveryrate007
Thematerialrecyclingandenergyrecoveryofpost-consumer
plasticswastevariessignificantlybycountry.Insome
countrieslikeSwitzerland,Germany,SwedenandDenmark
thereisverylittlelandfillthesecountriesarevery
closetocompletingtheirdiversion-from-landfillstrategy.
ArecentstudybytheSwissconsultancyPrognos()showed
that7%oftheEUKyototargetforgreenhousegas(GHG)
emissionscouldbesavedifallwastecurrentlygoingto
landfillwastobedivertedflexiblytorecyclingandenergy
recovery.
Thebestresultswereachievedwithoutspecifictargetsbut
withfullflexibilitytoexplorerecyclingandenergyrecovery
whereitbestservedthespecificwastestream.
InadditiontosavingGHGemissions,diversionfrom
landfillcontributestoincreasedresourceefficiencyand
energysecuritywhilereducinglittering.
OneimportantobservationfromFigure0isthatcountries
withhighrecoveryratesdowellonbothrecyclingand
energyrecovery.Wecanthereforeconfidentlystatethata
strategyincludingenergyrecoveryisnotcontradictoryto
achievinggoodrecyclingresults.Itsimplyillustratesthat
acompleteresourcemanagementstrategyneedsto
addressboth,asnocountrywillbeabletorecycleall
post-consumerwaste.
Theotherobservationthatcanbedrawnisthatwhilst
recyclingperformanceisfairlysimilaracrossmostofthe
EU7+NO/CHcountriestherearehugedifferencesinthe
utilisationofenergyrecovery.Countrieswhichhavehigh
dependenceonlandfillmustnotonlyexploittheirfull
recyclingpotentialbutrapidlyexpandtheirenergy-from-
wastenetwork.
Theprogressofthediversionfromlandfillisslowon
averagewithrecycling(mechanical+feedstock)across
EU7+NO/CHincreasingfrom9.5%in006to0.4%in
007whileenergyrecoveryremainedstableat9.%.
StrongeffortswillberequiredinmanyMemberStates
tocapturethefullpotentialofferedbyadiversionfrom
landfillstrategy,namelyGHGemissionsavings,enhanced
resourceefficiencyandenergysecurityandtheavoiding
oflandfillpenalties.
()http://www.prognos.com/Singleview.06+M5c88d79ff6.0.html
6
7
Trendsinrecycling
Thereportingofrecyclingperformanceinthisreportisdone
onaMemberStatelevel.Itreflectstheamountofmaterial
collectedforrecycling,whetherthismateriallatercrosses
borderswithintheEU,issentoverseastocountriessuchas
ChinaorIndia,orstaysinitscountryoforigin.
WithinEuropethereismuchcross-bordermovementof
materialforrecycling,whichreflectsthetradewithintheEU.
Forexampletheproportionofimportedwastetreatedby
recyclersinSwitzerland,BelgiumandtheNetherlands
isintherangeof5-45%.
Exportofpost-consumerplasticwastefromEU7+NO/CH
continuedtoincreasetoanestimatedtotalof0.65million
tonnesin007(up0%over006).Thisrepresents%
ofallwastecollectedforrecyclingwhichiscomparable
toothermaterials.Ensuringthatrecyclingofexported
wastetakesplaceincertifiedandauthorisedfacilitiesisof
theutmostimportanceforthecredibilityoftheEUaswell
asforconsumerconfidence.
Thecollectionrateformechanicalrecyclingofpost-
consumerplasticswasteincreased%over006to
0.%in007.Thisrepresentsanincreaseof0.5million
tonnes,givinganEU7+NO/CHtotalof4.9milliontonnes.
Thisincreaseisfuelledbyhigherpolymerpricesand
improvedcollectionandsortingtechnology.Therecycling
capacityoftheEuropeanrecyclingindustryisestimated
tobestillhighertoenableallcollectedmaterialtobe
treatedinEurope.
Abigpartofthisincreasewasachievedthroughtheincrease
inpackagingstreamssuchasPETbottles,industrialpackaging
filmandPVCproductsviatheprogrammeVinyl00.
Asthereisstillthepotentialtocollectmorefromthese
streamsacrossMemberStates,itisimportanttocontinue
effortstodrivethesestreamstowardstheirfullpotential.
Cratesandpalletsaretwostreamswhererecyclingiswell
above90%.Thissuccessfulclosedloopisthreatened
bychangesintheEUlegislationlinkedtotheheavy
metalcontentoftheseproducts.Withoutthederogation
extensiontocontinuetorecycleandkeeptheheavymetals
safelyintheplasticahugequantityofrecyclableplastics
couldbeobsolete.Industryisworkingtowardsacontrolled
schemetomonitortherenewalofthederogation.
InadditioncountriesliketheUKareseekingincreased
recyclingfromthemixedplasticsstream(i.e.thehousehold
plasticsstreamexcludingbottles).Theplasticsindustry
isengagedinthisinitiativeandsupportsextendedeco-
efficientrecycling.Howeverinfrastructureanddemography
variesacrossMemberStates,andthereforesolutionswill
notbethesameindifferentcountries.ForexampleAustria
andtheNetherlandshavetakentheoppositedecision
totheUKanddecidednottocollectmixedplasticsbut
insteadtorecoverthisstreamthroughenergyrecovery.
Plastic bottles are suitable for recycling
Apackagingapplicationwithagoodrecyclingtrackrecord
istheplasticbottle.SuchbottlescanbemadeofPET,PE,
PPorPVC.4%ofallusedPETbottleswerecollectedfor
recyclingin007.Thisamountsto.milliontonnes/year.
TheEU7+NO/CHcountriesdemonstratehugevariations,
frombelow0%forsomecountriestonearly70%for
countriessuchasAustriaorBelgiumbasedonnodeposit
system.Incountrieswithdepositsystemsrecyclingrates
ofover90%arebeingachieved.Iftheperformanceof
e.g.Belgiumcouldbematched,thenthepotentialexists
toincreaserecyclingbyaboutmilliontonnes/yacross
EU7+NorwayandSwitzerland.ThesysteminBelgiumis
basedonco-collectionofbottles,metalcontainersanddrink
cartons.Bottlesareseparatedoutinsortingplants.
Recyclersthenreprocesstheseparatedplastics.Asthe
quantityofrecycledbottlesincreases,thetraditionalmarkets
forreprocessedmaterial,fibreandstrapping,become
saturated.Workisunderwayinanumberofcountriesto
closethebottleloopi.e.tousethereprocessedPETand
HDPEfornewbottlesandalsoforfoodapplications.
Thisbottle-to-bottlerecyclingwillopenupabigmarketfor
recyclatesiftherequirementsfore.g.foodapprovalcanbe
met.EFSAtheEuropeanFoodSafetyAgency-haspublished
guidelinesforapplicantsforthesafetyevaluationofrecycled
plasticstobeusedincontactwithfood.ThenewEuropean
regulationonplastics(EC8/008)requiresthatrecycled
plasticsusedincontactwithfoodshouldonlybeobtained
fromprocesseswhichhavebeenassessedforsafetybyEFSA.
8
In007thevolumeofpost-consumerPVCwastebeing
recycledacrossEurope,mainlythroughtheRecovinyl
systemaspartoftheindustryVinyl00voluntary
commitment,reached49,500tonnes.Thisrepresents
an80%increaseon006levels,when8,000tonnes
wererecycledandcontinuesthestronggrowthinPVC
recyclingseenintheprevioustwoyearswhichsawthe
volumeofVinyl00sponsoredrecyclingdoublingeach
year.TheVinyl00targetfor00isfortherecyclingof
00,000tonnesofpost-consumerPVCwaste(inaddition
toregulatedwastestreamsandtothevolumesrecycledin
000).Therearenowcollectionandrecyclingsystemsfor
PVCproductsinmanyEuropeancountries.
SincemanyPVCapplicationslikewindowframesandpipes
arelong-lifeproductsthatcanlastformanydecadesthe
quantityofend-of-lifematerialiscurrentlylimited.Larger
quantitiesofwastematerialarethereforeonlyexpectedin
thefuture.Nevertheless,adequaterecyclingcapacitiesare
alreadybeingprovidedfor.
Inprofessionalrecyclingallplasticwindows,including
fittingsandglass,arepre-crushedinashredder.Bymeans
ofspecialseparatorsallmetalcomponentsandglassare
excludedfromthematerialflow.SubsequentlyallPVC,
whichatfirstexistsascoarsegrindingstockof5-5
millimetresindiameter,ishackledtofinegrainsizeina
cuttingmill.
Additionalseparationandprocessingstepsforquality
improvementfollowinline.
RecyclingofPVCreaches50,000tonnesayear
8
9
PackagingRecyclingBeyondtheBottle
TheplasticbottleissuccessfullyrecycledinmostEU
MemberStates.Tofurtherimprovepackagingrecycling
ratesweneedto
continuetocapturethefullpotentialofthebottle
exploreothercontentofthepackagingstream

CountrieslikeAustria,Italy,Germany,NorwayandSpain
alreadycollectinadditiontothebottlerigidpackaging
suchastrays,tubsandpotsplussomefilm.
Improvementsinsortingandwashingtechnologies,
emergingmarketsforrecyclateandpotentialbusiness
opportunitiesdriveMemberStatestoexplorethisstream
-oftenreferredtoasMixedPlastics.
AnEPROworkinggroupisfocussingonMixedPlasticsby
studyingexistingsystemsandcarryingoutindustrialtests
toassessfeasibility,costeffectivenessandenvironmental
benefitsofthedifferentend-of-lifeoptions.IntheUK
WRAP-theWasteResourceActionProgrammehas
runaninitialstudyandisnowtakingthistofullscale
validation.
ThelearningfromexploringtherecyclingofMixedPlastics
isthat:
Inputneedstobesortedtohighlevelofpurityper
plastictype
Recyclateneedstoreplacevirginpolymerinthenext
application
Welldefinedendmarketsforeachrecyclatestreamneed
tobedeveloped
Onlypartoftheinputstreamcanbeturnedinto
recyclatewiththebalancebetterusedforenergy
recovery.Percentagesdependonqualityandconsistency
ofinputstream
Additionallearningwillbecomeavailableoverthenextfew
yearsasMemberStatesexplorethisrecyclingopportunity.
Focus on Italy
Corepla-theNationalConsortiumfortheCollection,
RecoveryandRecyclingofPlasticPackagingWaste-
hasbeensetuptoguaranteerecyclingandrecoveryof
packagingwaste.
In00householdcollectioninItalywasenlargedfrom
bottles-onlytoallplasticpackagingwaste.
SincethenCoreplahascreatedvalueforbottlesandfilm
withtheresultthatintheyear007ofmorethan00.000
tonnesofbottlesandaround50.000tonnesoffilmwere
soldthroughweb-basedauctionswitharevenueofmore
thand40million.
In007mixedplasticspackagingrepresentedmorethan
5%ofthewholehouseholdcollectionwith40%being
recycledandtherestusedforenergyrecovery.
Coreplaisfocusedoncreatingevenmorevalueformixed
plasticsfractionsthroughautomaticsorting(forincreased
efficiency)andanalysisofend-usemarketsinordertofind
high-valueapplications.
0
In007,7.milliontonnesor9.%ofthepost-consumer
plasticswastewasrecoveredasenergyinEU7+Norway
andSwitzerland,unchangedinpercentagetermsfrom006.
Municipalincineratorsremainthemostcommontechnology
forenergyrecovery.NineoftheEU7+NO/CHcountries
use58-8%oftheirpost-consumerwasteinenergy
recoveryplants.Franceuses8%whileothercountries
have0%orlessoftheirpost-consumerwasterecovered
inenergyrecoveryplants.Thisincludesnotonlynew
MemberStatesbutalsocountriessuchasFinland,Greece,
Ireland,SpainandtheUK.
Thereisgrowingrecognitionine.g.IrelandandtheUKthat
theenergyrecoverycapacityshouldbeincreased,butthe
planningprocessiscomplexandprotractedandplanning
permissionisfrequentlycontestedbyNGOsandlocal
interestgroups.
Anadditionalformofenergy-from-wasteistheproduction
ofsolidrecoveredfuel(SRF)throughconcentratinghigh
calorificwasteandconvertingitintoafuelwithadefined
specificationagreedbetweenuserandproducer.Theuse
ofsuchsolidrecoveredfuelsisexpectedtogrowafterthe
introductionofEuropeanCENstandardsfortheproduction
andtradeofthistypeoffuel.Thiskindofconcentrated
highcalorificfuelhasahugepotentialinpartlyreplacing
otherfuelsforco-combustionincementkilns,papermills
andcombinedheatandpowerplants(includingdistrict
heating).SignificantSRFcapacityisbeingbuiltinGermany
andprogressedinothercountries.Ineos-aplastics
producer-hasrecentlyobtainedplanningpermissionfor
anSRF-fuelledpowerplantintheUKandaFinnishpower
companyisbuildinganewSRF-fedpowerstation.
Recentstudieshavedocumentedthattherearesignificant
positivesynergyeffectsfromco-firingsolidrecoveredfuel
(SRF)withbiomass:SRFadditionallowsearlierignition
(partlybecausebiomassalwayshasacertainwater
content,whileSRFdoesnot),whichinturnassuresfaster
andmoreefficientincineration,bettercombustionstability
andhigherboileroutput.
AsSRFisoftenlocallyavailable,andatalowcost,co-firing
SRFandbiomassisalsoafinanciallyattractiveoption.
Spittelauisacombinedheatandpowerincineratorlocated
inthecityCentreofVienna,onlykmfromtheStStephen
Cathedral.Theplantwasdevelopedinthelate980s
intoastrikingdesignbyFriedensreichHundertwasser.
Theplanthasacapacityof60.000tonnes/yearand
produces66MW,withanefficiencyupto86%.
Ofthetotaloutput60MWgoestoheatingtheVienna
districtheatingsystemand6MWisgeneratedaspower
fortheViennagrid.Plasticsmakeuparound0%byweight
ofthefeedbutasmuchas50%ofthecalorificcontent
thankstotheirhighspecificcalorificvalue.Whentheflue
gasleavesthe8mhighchimneyithaspassedthrough
oneofthemosteffectivecleaningprocesses,ensuring
fullcompliancewiththeWasteIncinerationDirective.
Inapublicpollsomeyearsafterstart-up%wereagainst
wasteincinerationand8%werepositivetowaste
incinerationanddistrictheating.Themagicrecipeof
investinginacomprehensiveeducationalcampaign,
securingthehighesttechnicalstandardsandchoosing
anoutstandingdesigncansurelybecopiedelsewhere.
Trendsinenergyrecovery

PlasticProducts,ApplicationsandGoodsenablersof
innovationinsociety
Transport
Inadditiontotheenergysavingsenabledbyplasticsin
cars,aircraftsandtrucks,plasticsfacilitateinnovation
inavarietyofways.
Aestheticdesignismadepossiblebytheinherent
capabilityofplasticstobedesigned,colouredand
producedinanyshapeandform.
Cheapersolutionsleadingtomoreaffordablecars-are
enabledbyplasticscomponentsallowingtheintegration
intoonepieceofwhathadpreviouslybeenseveral
partsmadefromtraditionalmaterialsandrequiringan
additionaljoining-togetherstep.Exteriorpanelsableto
takesmallimpactswillsavemoneyandtroubletothe
carowneraslittleornorepairwillbeneeded.
Sports and leisure
TherecentOlympicgamesinBeijinggavenumerous
exampleshowplasticsenhanceperformanceinalegal
wayinvastlydifferentsportsandmakeitmoreenjoyable
tothecompetitorwhetheritisatopathleteoracasual
exerciser.Perhapsthebestexampleisthenewswimming
suitswhichenabledcompetitorstobreaknumerous
records.Thankstoapolyurethanesuitcoveredinan
entirelyseamlessengineeredfabric,wherethedifferent
panelsareultra-sonicallyweldedtogether,athleteswere
providedwitha5%betteroxygenintakecapabilityanda
4%increaseinspeed.
Sportsshoesaremadelighterandlighter,whilstoffering
betterstabilityandrobustnessthankstobetterandbetter
foamandsupportingstructuresmadefromplasticsand
whatwassolelyforthetopathletesintheOlympicswill
soonbeinthemassmarkettobeenjoyedbytherestofus.
Intelligent textiles
Intelligenttextileswilltransformthewaywework,live,
travelandcareforourbodiesandplanet
Cuddlysoftbabypyjamasthatmonitorvitalsignsand
soundanalarmifthechildareindangerinitssleep.
Therapiddevelopmentofso-calledintelligentortechnical
textilesconstitutesarevolutionbothforthetextile
industryitselfandforsectorsrangingfromtransport,
constructionandworkplacesafetytoagriculture,health,
consumerelectronicsandofcoursefashion.
Alsoknownassmartfabrics,thesematerialsgenerally
consistofpolymer-basedfabricsdesignedtoperformvery
sophisticatedfunctionsandusuallyincorporatehigh-tech
elements,frombiochemicalstophotovoltaiccells,intothe
fabricitself.
Inhealthcarewehaveforsometimeusedintelligentfibres
tomakethelittletubesthatpropopenblockedarteriesin
coronarybypasssurgeryortoreinforcetornligaments.

Packaging
Thepackagingapplicationhasthelongesthistoryof
recoveryandcontributesabout6%ofend-of-life
quantity.Notsurprisinglythemajorpartofwhatistoday
recycledthereforecomesfrompackaging.
Streamsofbottlesandindustrialfilmarebeing
mechanicallyrecycledto~40%acrossEU7+NO/CH.
Cratesandboxesarerecycledatwellover90%.
Recyclingratesfortheremainingmixedplasticsarestill
lowbelow0%acrossEU7+NO/CH.
Intotalthecollectionforrecyclingofpost-consumer
packaginggrewin007toanaverageof8%,upfrom
6.%in006.
FigshowsthemapoverEuropewithEU7+NO/CH
countriesbelow5%(currentrequirement),below.5%
(requirementfrom008)andthoseabove.5%.

Agricultural films
Agriculturalplasticswastesuchassilagefilmisagood
sourceformechanicalrecyclingasitismadefromalimited
rangeofplastics,mostlypolyolefins.Howeveroftenhigh
levelsofcontaminationbysoilposeatechnicaland
financialchallengetoeco-efficientrecyclingorrecovery.
EuPCandEuPRareengagedintheLabelAgriWasteproject
anEUco-fundedprojectaimingatdevelopingan
integratedapproachtowardsthecollection,samplingand
labelingofagriculturalplasticwaste.Progressisexpected
fromthisprojectoverthenextyear.
Automotive
Therecyclingrateforautomotiveplasticswastecontinued
toincreasetojustunder0%in007.Volkswagenwonan
environmentalawardfortheirSiConprocess-amechanical
processtoextractusablesecondaryrawmaterialsfrom
theresiduesofvehiclesshreddedattheendoftheiruseful
lives.Plantsusingthistypeoftechnologyarebeingbuilt
andstartingupintheNetherlandsandinAustria.

Electrical & electronic

Recyclingintheelectricalandelectronicsectorislimited
bycomplexproductswithmaterialsintermingledinaway
whichmakessortinganintensiveandexpensiveactivity.
AnexampleofgrowingrecyclingintheE&Esectorisof
theinnerlinerofarefrigerator.Forthemajorityofwaste
streams,thermaltreatmentviafeedstockrecyclingor
energyrecoveryisthemostappropriateprocedure.
Thereisalsosomeuncertaintyabouttheactualvolumes
ofdiscardedE&Eequipment.Itcanbeassumedthatsome
isexportedoutsideEurope.
Construction
Plasticsusedinconstructionareforlong-termuseand
hencedonotgenerateasmuchwaste.Nevertheless
increasedrecyclingisbeingachievedine.g.window
profilesandpipesof%in007.
Recoverytrendsbyapplication
Figure.Totalrecyclingofplasticpackagingwastebycountry
<5%
5-<,5%
>=,5%
notincluded
Whoarewe?
TheEuropeanplasticsindustrymakesasignificant
contributiontothewelfareinEuropebyenabling
innovation,creatingqualityoflifetocitizensandfacilitating
resourceefficiencyandclimateprotection.Morethan
.6millionpeopleareworkinginabout50.000companies
(mainlysmallandmediumsizedcompaniesinthe
convertingsector)tocreateaturnoverinexcessof00
billionperyear.
PlasticsEuropeisoneoftheleadingEuropeantrade
associationswithcentresinBrussels,Frankfurt,London,
Madrid,MilanandParis.WearenetworkingwithEuropean
andnationalplasticsassociationsandhavemorethan00
membercompanies,producingover90%ofallpolymers
acrosstheEU7MemberStatesplusNorway,Switzerland,
CroatiaandTurkey.
EuPC -theEuropeanPlasticsConverters-istheprofessional
representativebodyofplasticsconverterswithinEurope
whoseactivityembracesallsectorsoftheplasticsconverting
industryincludingrecycling.Theoverallobjectiveisto
defendandpromotetheinterestsoftheEuropeanplastics
convertingindustry
VoicingtheindustrysopiniontowardsEuropean
andinternationalinstitutionsandnon-governmental
organisations;
Maintainingrelationshipswithcorresponding
organisationsinEuropeandworldwide;
Carryingoutbusinesssurveys,studiesandresearch
projectsinallaspectsoftheplasticsprocessingindustry.
EuPR-theEuropeanPlasticsRecyclers-istheprofessional
representativebodyofplasticsrecyclersinEurope.
EuPRpromotesplasticsmechanicalrecyclingandconditions
thatenableprofitableandsustainablebusiness,while
offeringaserviceplatformtoitsmembers.EuPRmembers
bringtogether85%oftheEuropeanrecyclingcapacity
processingmorethan5milliontonnesofcollectedplastics
peryear.
EPRO -theEuropeanAssociationofPlasticsRecyclingand
RecoveryOrganisations-istheassociationofthenational
organisationschargedwithorganisingandpromoting
recyclingandrecoveryofplasticsthroughoutEurope.
EPROprovidesauniqueforumfortheleadingspecialists
inplasticswastemanagementfromacrossEuropeto
exchangelearning,developintegratedplasticspackaging
wastestrategiesandsupporttechnologicaldevelopment.

AvenueE.vanNieuwenhuyse4/
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Phone+(0)67597
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www.plasticseurope.org
Thematerialcontainedinthispublicationisforinformationonly.PlasticsEurope,astheresponsibleeditorforthispublication,
hascompiledthecontentverycarefully,andtheinformationplacedinthispublicationisofferedinutmostgoodfaithandis
believedtobecorrect.
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