Resource efficiency: Best Practices for the recovery of plastics waste in Europe

Aafko Schanssema - September 2007

Best Practices for the recovery of plastics waste in Europe

Facts, experience, recommendations and guidelines by PlasticsEurope, 2006
Outline: - What are plastics and why use them? - Life Cycle thinking: Plastics and resource efficiency - Recovery options for plastics - Eco-efficiency - Promoting recovery/best practices - Conclusions & lessons learnt - Sources of information

What are plastics ?

Materials made in a chemical reaction connecting building blocks in a long chain (polymers); these materials can be moulded into shapes or films. Usually the building blocks mainly containing hydrogen, carbon and often oxygen - are derived from fossil fuels (oil and gas), the so called hydrocarbon feedstocks Conventional fossil fuel based polymers represent more than 99% of plastics produced There is increasing interest in the use of renewable raw materials as hydrocarbon feedstock for plastics, but conventional plastics are expected to remain predominant
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Why use plastics?

They are versatile, light weight, resource efficient materials, enabling quality of life. They contribute to energy savings and associated climate change effects across the whole life-cycle of numerous products
Lightweight Insulating properties Design flexibility Can be recovered as material and/or energy at end-of-life
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Important question: Are plastics sustainable?

Largely made of non-renewable resource; Oil refining and cracking is energy intensive; Plastics waste often ends-up in landfill or is littered Question: What is sustainable use of oil?

Answer Yes: Life Cycle Thinking

Cradle: Does plastic influence oil and gas availability?

NO!

Heat, electricity and energy 42%

Transport 45% Other (nonenergy use) 5% Chem/ petrochem feedstock 4%

Plastics 4%

Increased resource efficiency in production and processing

Almost all feedstocks are produced in efficient, integrated petrochemical complexes Continued innovation has ensured dramatic improvements in resource efficiency for plastics raw materials (the PP example is typical for all plastics) Processing technologies developed to use minimum of material, with more than 90% of production scrap being recycled (most plants have less then 2-3 % waste)

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Example Polypropylene
Propylene Comonomer Auxiliairies 100%, 1185 kg Atmosphere 4,4% average (52 kg)

Yield 84 %

1964

Polymerization
Landfill 7,6% (90 kg)

PP 1000 kg
Waste water 3,6% (43 kg)

Propylene Comonomer Auxiliairies 100%, 1023 kg

Waste gas to incinerator 1,7% average (17 kg)

1988

Polymerization

PP 1000 kg
Work-up of waste and landfill 0,6% (6 kg) Waste gas to incinerator 0,5 - 1,5% range (5-15 kg)

97 %

Propylene Comonomer Auxiliairies 100%, 1005 1015 kg

1999

Polymerization

PP 1000 kg

99 % 99.7 %
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Today:

Plastics contribution to resource efficiency during the use phase

What were the net effects in Western Europe if plastics did not exist?
Total energy to produce, use and recover plastics in Western Europe is 3.900 Mill GJ/a Substitution of plastics where possible would need additional energy of 1.020 Mill GJ/a (+ 26%!) Additional GHG emissions if plastics were substituted: 97 Mt/a or 56% more than in total life cycle of all plastic products today
Source: GUA, Vienna for PlasticsEurope, 2005)
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Results are equivalent to ...

1.020 Mill GJ/a additional energy needed for substitution of plastics is equivalent to:
22,4 Mill tonnes of crude oil or 43 ultra large crude oil tankers (a row of 20 km of ultra large crude oil tankers) primary fuel input of 10 nuclear power plants with 1.000 MW heating and warm water for 40 Million people (half of Germany)

97 Mt/a additional CO2 emissions are equivalent to:

30% of the Kyoto reduction target for the EU-15 in the period 2000 2012 (319 Mt/a) CO2 emissions from 90% of private cars in Germany

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Plastics and End-of-Life management

Plastics are designed for all end-of-life options: reuse recycling recovery
Re-use: both one-way and re-usable articles are used Recycling: good examples are industrial films and PET bottles Recovery: other recovery options like feedstock recycling, or energy recovery should be used for mixed/contaminated plastics and complex materials

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The recovery options of plastic waste

Raw material derived from oil/natural gas Plastic materials Consumer products
Reuse Mechanical recycling Feedstock recycling Energy Recovery/ generation

Waste

Landfill

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Why recover plastics waste?

Plastics much too valuable to be thrown away All plastics can be recovered To save materials and energy and contribute to resource efficiency

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Landfill is least preferred option

Large quantities of Greenhouse Gas emissions (food, bio waste) Waste of material and energy resources (metals, plastics )

Extending recovery is main factor (recycling, composting, energy recovery)

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Mechanical recycling is THE preferred option, when Homogeneous, clean waste streams Can replace virgin on close to 1:1 basis Markets exist or can be developed, and when specifications are met

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Be aware of high recycling cost of grades from mixed plastics waste

ple m Co / ted res a in ixtu m a m nt x

Euro / t
Price reduction (Quality)

Co

1.500

1.000

Collection, Transport Dismantling Preparation

0.500

0
Price Virgin Material Price recycled grade Compounding To be paid Loss
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Feedstock or chemical recycling

Conversion via a chemical reaction into an hydrocarbon or mixture of hydrocarbons
Often in an existing large industrial installation Advantages:
Suitable for mixed or laminated plastics Contamination less a problem Secured emission control Examples: Blast furnaces, Gasification to syngas, nonferrous smelters
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Feedstock recycling limitations and future

Today: One commercial large scale gasification to methanol plant in operation in Germany Germany and Austria rely very much on the blast furnace option Future: Many promising technologies, the result of many years of innovative R&D Technology allows further innovation in plastics material development

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Eco-efficiency of plastics packaging recycling

Study: TNO for APME (2001) EU scenarios of landfill versus increasing recycling levels combined with energy recovery from MSWI

Diversion from landfill single most important factor. Increasing recycling from 15 50% has no significant environmental benefit but costs increase 3X
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Eco-efficiency of plastics packaging waste recovery options

Environmental impact (in relative terms)

low environmental impact low costs

Customerrelated benefit: Recovery of 1 kg plastics packaging waste from industry and households

4 3

landfill (100%) now (70 % landfill) no landfilling: 15 % mechan. recyc. 85 % energy recovery increase of recycling; decrease of energy recovery maximum recyc. (50%)

0,5

2 1
1 1
high environmental impact high costs

0,5
Source: APME/TNO 2000

Economic costs (in relative terms)

Recovery options for plastics from end-of-life vehicles + E&E

dismantling of large plastic parts sorting mechanical recycling

shredder residue treatment large industrial technologies: feedstock recycling energy recovery
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source: Audi

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Eco-efficiency of ELV plastics recovery

Options for various plastics parts in vehicles

Study: ko Institute for APME (2003)

Mechanical recycling best for large, accessible monomaterial parts For most parts energy recovery / feedstock recycling routes are most eco-efficient Landfill is worst option Energy savings during service life more important than end-of-life recovery
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Heating value of plastics

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Gas Oil Plastics Coal Wood MJ/kg

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Energy recovery includes a range of options

Municipal Waste Incineration Co-combustion of Solid Recovered Fuel (e.g. CEN Standards)
Cement industry, Coal fired power plants, Pulp/paper industry

Low emissions covered by WID All provide environmental advantages over power from coal (saving primary fuels and CO2)
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Future directions energy recovery

Increasing importance of standardised recovered fuels as energy source (a tradable non-waste?) Increased acceptance of MSWI as essential component of waste management options Gasification technologies together with biomass as clean fuel input to conventional power stations (or as stand alone units)

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Waste treatment options -Economics

Contaminated/Complex mixtures
Gate fees/costs

Industrial films

?
landfill MSWI power plant, cement kiln gasification use of CO/H2 Mechanical recycling of post-consumer

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Plastics recovery in W. Europe (1991 2004) EU 15 + N/CH

7.000

32%
6.000 5.000 x1.000 tonnes

4.000

22% 19%

3.000

15% 7%

2.000

1.000

17%

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Feedstock recycling (raw material)

Mechanical recycling

Energy recovery

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Change from EU15+2 to EU25+2

Recycling varies much less than energy recovery across EU25+2 (data 2004)
Recycling (1 - 33%)
Switzerland Sweden Denmark Germany Belgium Austria Luxemburg Netherlands Norway France Italy Portugal Spain Slovakia Finland Czechia United Kingdom Slovenia Ireland Hungary Latvia Poland Estonia Lithuania Malta Cyprus Greece

Energy Recovery (0 - 83%)

Group of leading countries with recovery rates above 80%

20

40

60

80

100
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Source: PlasticsEurope

Promoting general recovery -1

Learn from other countries experiences, but take account of specific local conditions and infrastructure Engage with all relevant stakeholders and collect proper statistics of wastes sent for recycling, energy recovery, landfill Ensure existing landfill and incineration facilities meet requirements of EU legislation Promote diversion of high calorific waste including plastics waste from landfill

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Promoting general recovery -2

Aim for an integrated system of recovery options: recycling, composting, incineration/combustion, (landfill) Size the solid waste incineration unit appropriately Employ Combine Heat & Power generation where possible in solid waste incineration plant Actively promote the use of Solid Recovered Fuels (SRF), enhancing security of energy supply Plan on the basis of proven technologies Plan on basis that waste will increase over time
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Promoting plastics recovery (Packaging)

Encourage an integrated approach to municipal waste management,

creating a region sufficiently large to combine treatment and sorting centres with an appropriately sized MSW Incineration plant. Where possible with combined heat & power (CHP), supplying local infrastructure

Develop streams for recycling progressively Focus recycling of plastics packaging on industrial film packaging and on bottles from household waste.

The bottles should be integrated into the municipal waste collection scheme together with collection of other packaging materials

Recognise importance of communication with public to increase quality of waste streams

BP example implemented in Belgium

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Promoting plastics recovery (all plastics)

Landfill ban (since 2004) as supporting legislation Separately collected films and bottles for mechanical recycling Industry has increasing interest in alternative fuel Mixed plastics separated from residual waste and shredder light residue is utilised in cement works and blast furnace (high calorific fraction) and pulp and fibre industry (medium calorific fraction) Remaining residual waste (low calorific fraction) goes to municipal solid waste incineration plants with energy recovery

BP example implemented in Austria

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Promoting plastics recovery (ELV, WEEE)

Operations of dismantlers / shredders determine whether plastics parts from cars/electronics are separated out for recycling before shredding (e.g. bumpers) Residual shredder light fraction used as solid recovered fuel, MSWI or low grade mechanical applications For E&E waste possible recycling of large casings, but if brominated fire retardants present then should be incinerated In general, limited possibilities for mechanical recycling of plastic parts: driving force is ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling. Plastics can contribute as reducing agent

BP examples: The Netherlands, Sweden

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Promoting plastics recovery (B&C)

Determine in cooperation with converters the feasibility of options for efficient recovery of building and demolition waste plastics (e.g. PVC pipes, window frames) Volumes currently low but will increase in the future The PVC industry have made a Voluntary Commitment (Vinyl 2010) to recycle certain quantities of PVC, and can assist in developing schemes. Sometimes national legislation on demolition also promotes plastics recovery. Other separately collected plastics waste may be suitable for conversion to SRF, but this not developed

BP examples: Denmark, The Netherlands

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Promoting plastics recovery (Agriculture)

Good source of homogeneous plastic PE films, although often contaminated with soil Substantial experience in several countries with voluntary schemes (UK, NL, SWE, .) Good performance with farmers delivering to collection points Potential critical issue are problems created by freeriders BP example: Spain
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Lessons learnt
No single country has all the best solutions for plastics waste recovery
Finding the right match between the realistic local conditions and the best practices will increase efficiency

The strong EU legislative focus on mechanical recycling targets should be adapted where necessary:
to be consistent with the efficient use of resources and energy across all phases of the life-cycle of materials, and to foster innovation

Diversion of plastics waste from landfill will increasingly contribute to:

savings of material and energy resources, in addition to the savings made in the use phase of plastics products
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Conclusions
Minimize disposal of plastics waste to landfill Optimize substitution of primary resources Use mix of all recovery options for eco-efficient waste management appropriate balance between material and energy recovery Treatment and recovery of waste under defined environmental quality standards (e.g. IPPC) Overall life cycle impact should be taken into account

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Sources of information
PlasticsEurope (www.plasticseurope.org) Tecpol (www.tecpol.de) European Plastics Converters (www.eupc.org) European Plastics Recyclers (www.eupr.org) Association of Cities & Regions for Recycling (www.acrr.org)
Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (www.cewep.com) European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery (www.eproplasticsrecycling.org)

Handbook for municipal waste prognosis and sustainability assessment of waste management systems (www.lca-iwm.net)
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The material for the 21st century

Plastics

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