the EPRO International Design. Competition for Best Recycled Plastic. Product.
About 20% of the PET that is recycled in Europe is used in the manufacturing of ...
Special issue on materials
Plastic materials: avoiding complex packaging PET and HDPE bottles are collected through the PMD circuit. They are recycled using highly sophisticated processes. The quality of the material obtained, as well as its possible applications, depends strongly on the collected material. That is why it is important to strictly follow the design for recycling rules.
A clever process ensures quality Collection. Plastic bottles and flasks are collected through the PMD circuit. Sorting. The PMD materials brought to the sorting centre are sorted partly manually and partly automatically. The plastic flasks and bottles are sorted into four different flows, according to their material and colour. The flows include transparent PET (polyethylene terephtalate) bottles (clear, blue, and green) and HDPE (high density polyethylene) bottles. Each colour and type is then compressed into large bales.
Recycling. The bales are uniform, but still contain foreign substances such as content residues, caps, labels and/or residues from other materials (metal, cardboard, or other plastic materials). These foreign elements are gradually extracted by a sequence of techniques. The plastic is then crushed, purified, and washed. During this process, all unwanted materials are extracted by NIR (Near Infrared) scanning, by flotation, by aerodynamic separation (air or water cyclones), as well as by other separation techniques (ferrous and non-ferrous). The recycled plastic to be integrated into new products is eventually delivered in the form of flakes or aggregate.
Raw material for various applications About 20% of the PET that is recycled in Europe is used in the manufacturing of new bottles and flasks destined for food contact and similar applications. The remaining recycled PET is found in the production of various products, including textile products (45%), plastic films (22%), and straps (11%) (Source: PCI, www.pcipetpackaging.co.uk). Recycled HDPE is used for, amongst other items, drain pipes, tanks, boxes, and new flasks.
The quality of recycled PET has gradually improved. Today, it is almost equal to the quality of new PET. ‘Thanks to modern recycling techniques, we are able to produce bottles containing 100% recycled material,’ notes An Vossen of Plarebel. ‘In practice however, it is always mixed with new PET. This avoids any discoloration and results in transparent bottles that are in demand by consumers.’ The portion of recycled materials in PET
bottles varies between 10 and 50%. This ratio is not expected to increase in the years to come since there are an increasing number of other outlets for recycled PET, primarily in the plastic films industry. ‘It is important that sufficient materials are available for recycling, given the fact that the demand for recycled PET is higher than the supply,’ she adds.
The HDPE market is sensitive to fluctuations The market for recycled HDPE is characterized by the diversity of its applications: drain pipes, by-pass channels, tanks, boxes, stabilizing slabs, screens, and even car seats for children. Drain pipes are the primary outlet in the building sector, which is subject to the greatest market fluctuations.
In 2009, this car children’s seat won the EPRO International Design Competition for Best Recycled Plastic Product.
November 2010 • R.E.: J.Goossens • Fost Plus vzw • Martinus V-straat 40 • B-1200 Brussels.
A stable PET market
Special issue on materials
Plastic materials: avoiding complex packaging Good sorting is critical in obtaining quality In order to achieve quality recycling, it is important that the bales are pure and homogeneous. ‘Certain materials can significantly disturb the recycling process,’ explains Vossen. ‘Metallic caps can damage the shredder blades or block the filters. Paper pulp sticks to the equipment.’ Silicone and motor oil residues also affect the quality of the recycled materials.
Excessive amounts of PVC can be extremely harmful since it colours transparent PET bottles, causes black spots to appear, and makes textile fibres more fragile. One single PVC bottle can substantially affect the quality of an entire 250 kg bale. That is why correct sorting inside the sorting centre is essential for subsequent product quality.’
Avoiding problems at the source Many problems can be avoided at the source by making the right choices in terms of packaging design. ‘Packaging design is of primary importance,’ observes Vossen. ‘Combining materials of equal density, such as PET with PLA or PVC, for instance, must be avoided because they can not be separated by flotation.’ In addition, a growing number of bottles contain ‘barrier’ materials and/or additives, which often complicate recycling. In the PET bottles for fruit juice, for instance, a nylon barrier is sometimes added. ‘This is not optimal because the recycled
PET then becomes more yellow. We recommend avoiding complex bottles as much as possible. From a technical point of view, it is possible to fine-tune the sorting and separation steps, but that makes the recycling process more complex and therefore more costly.’ On the www.pack4recycling.be Website, you will find specific guidelines and advices for combining materials in plastic bottles in view of their recycling.
‘Technically complex bottles containing ‘barrier’ materials and/or additives often complicate the recycling process. Simple bottles avoid problems at the source.’ An Vossen, Manager at Plarebel
Pack4recycling.be The pack4recycling.be Website provides additional information on the recyclability of the various types of packaging. Using a decision tree, you can test whether your packaging will be recycled or not. www.pack4recycling.be
Plarebel Plarebel is an independent organization that Fost Plus calls upon as an expertise centre for the collection and recycling of plastic packaging. www.fostplus.be
