Zero Waste Think Tank Mixed Plastics

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Zero Waste Think TankMixed Plastics

• A joint presentation byWRAP, SWAG Remade

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Topics

• What is currently happening with plastics MSW
  and Commercial?
• What are consumer views on plastics recycling
• How do we recover more plastic?
• Are there markets for polymers?
• Is there any role for EFW?

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How much are we currently collecting from the MSW
stream?

• In 2006 we recycled circa 12,500 tonnes (0.4
  MSW)
• There is a further 237,546 tonnes available
  (Total 7 MSW)

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What is available in the MSW stream?
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What people see in their bins mainly
packaging.!
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CI - Arisings?
SEPA Business Waste Study Plastics contribute 7
arisings (8.41 Mt) 555,288T Licensed Site
Returns?? 26,246 tonnes of recovered plastics
sent to waste facilities But 14,734 tonnes was
production wastes (emulsions and industry
waste) Figure closer to 11,512 tonnes of genuine
plastic post consumer waste delivered
tofacilities BUT LAWAS reported 8,000T
MSW Therefore 11,512-8,000 3,500 of CI
plastics recovered!? (Includes ELV
WEEE) Plastic Mix? Composition Analysis Required
to identify mix of commercial plastics CI
Conclusions Most activity found in plastic
packaging, mechanical treatment of waste and MSW
type Packaging, ELV, WEEE and MSW both have
assisted targets and drivers for recovery. Not a
broad range of companies accepting plastics
outwith MSW service providers.
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Who processes municipal plastic collections?
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Final Markets

• Over 75 of plastics exported - 74 to China
• JFC Plastics (bottles to pipes)
• 4 or 5 new plants in planning
• Challenge to divert exported bottles to local

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Recycling Facilities

• Around 45 of households have a kerbside
  collection for plastic bottles.
• 30/32 Local Authorities recycle plastic bottles
  at either Recycling Centres and Recycling
  Points or at the kerbside
• The total number of Recycling Centres and Points
  accepting plastic bottles are
• - All types 1003
• - HDPE 474
• - PET 452
• The total number of Local Authorities who accept
  plastics bottles at the kerbside are
• - All types 10
• - HDPE 16
• - PET 16
• Scottish Borders now accept plastic
  packaging/film/wrapping/trays in their kerbside
  scheme
• Inverclyde and Western Isles recycle plastic food
  containers.
• The average plastics collection per household is
  0.16kg/hh/wk

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Incentives to Recycle

• 2006 Public Attitudes to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  in Scotland 5002 respondents were asked their
  opinions and behaviours towards waste
• In 2006 it was found that 32 of the total
  population recycled plastics compared to only 5
  in 2002
• 17 of respondents said they wished to recycle
  more materials including other types of plastics
• A further 5 specifically mentioned the ability
  to recycle plastics would encourage them to
  recycle more.
• Typical questions are on the availability of
  facilities for recycling plastics other than
  plastic bottles. This includes
• Bubble Wrap
• Plastic Food containers i.e yoghurt and margarine
  tubs
• Plastic Food wrapping/packaging
• Polystyrene.

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Mixed plastics the key questions?

• What is the best way to manage mixed plastic
  packaging waste in the UK?
• Mechanically recycle it?
• Burn it?
• Bury it?
• Turn it in to diesel?
• Use it in cement/steel manufacture?
• Best economically and environmentally

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WRAP Trials

• Real UK mixed plastics samples (tonne scale)
• 14 technologies commercial scale
• Many widely used across Europe
• Several novel technologies
• Covering a wide range of processing including
• Flexible and rigid separation
• Near Infra Red (NIR) sorting of rigids
• Float/sink flake sorting
• Cleaning

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Mixed plastics process schematic
Rigid/film split
Rigid whole item sepn by Polymer (and colour?)
Size reduce
Wash and density separate
Bale film
Flake colour sort?
Extrude
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Trial Results - Flexible / Rigid Separation
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Trial Results - Rigid Separation By Polymer
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Trial Results - Flake Washing/Separation
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End Markets
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• WRAP LCA

Net global warming potential (GWP) (after avoided
impacts have been considered) (purple recycling
scenarios, yellow alternative management
options)
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SEPA LCA (WRATE)

• Analysis favours option 3. 70 recycling, 5
  landfill, 25 EFW
• EfW Energy from waste, assumed to be combined
  heat and power (CHP) with standard incineration
  technology includes plastics which are not
  easily recovered

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DEFRA Waste Strategy for England 2007
Plastics. Burning plastics has a general net,
adverse greenhouse gas impact due to the release
of fossil carbon. Recycling shows significant
potential for carbon and energy savings through
displacing virgin materials, although the scale
of this varies widely with the processing route.
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WRAP LCA
Sensitivity of substitution options for recycled
plastic on GWP (comparison of Scenarios C and G
for varying degrees of substitution). Bands
placed around each line to emphasise
uncertainties in the data although these have
not been quantified.
The cross-over point for Scenarios C and G as the
degree of virgin plastic displaced by recycled
plastic is reduced.
SRF (C) becomes favoured over mechanical
recycling (G) when the degree of virgin plastic
substitution drops below about 70.
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Where should we target?