Recycling
Recotrace is a common data collection platform that is utilised to track and report Europe's plastics recycling and uptake
of meeting CPA objectives, legislative traceability mandates, and industry-wide recycling targets. PolyREC has recently been joined by value chain initiatives like the Polyolefin Circular Economy Platform (PCEP), Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), and European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene (EUMEPS) to leverage the benefits of data systems in the polyolefins, styrenics, and EPS segments. Project focuses on recyclate quality for packaging use Meanwhile, a new project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and coordinated by Spain-domiciled research centre ITENE has been launched. Known as Merlin, which stands for increasing the quality and rate of multi-layer packaging recycling, it is made up of a consortium of 14 European partners and is expected to recover and recycle over 3 million tonnes/year of multilayer packaging waste in Europe. Sorting technology providers, recyclers, research centres, social innovation experts, and end-users will collaborate on recycling solutions for rigid and flexible multi-layer plastic packaging waste from post-consumer/industrial sources, with the goal of designing cradle to cradle packaging solutions for the food packaging industry. The EUR4.92-million project, which runs from 2021-2024, will implement solutions for sorting that will involve combining optical sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics; delamination by optimising depolymerisation and using solventbased processes; recycling, which will include repolymerisation and upcycling of polymers; and validation by developing rigid and flexible packaging solutions and demonstrating the circularity of the processes. US accelerates recycling and recycled content uptake In the US, increased recycled content in products is also being advocated to alleviate the load of discarded plastics and encourage recycling rates.
Led by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the initiatives will cover such targets as participation of all US manufacturing sites operated by ACC’s Plastics Division members in Operation Clean Sweep-blue. The latter is a programme launched with the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) to assist plastic resin handling operations in achieving zero resin loss by 2020; 100% of recyclable plastics packaging by 2030; and 100% of reuse/recovery of plastics packaging by 2040. Plastic resin producers plan to focus on six key areas to achieve these objectives, namely, designing new products for greater efficiency, recycling, and reuse; developing new technologies and systems for collecting, sorting, recycling, and recovering materials. Other initiatives include facilitating participation of consumers in recycling and recovery programmes; expanding the types of plastics collected and repurposed; as well as matching the plastic collection and repurposing efforts with goals. Similarly, the ACC unveiled a five-point plan in July to accelerate the growth of recycling to reduce plastic waste and achieve a 30% recycled plastic content in packaging by 2030. It seeks a comprehensive national policy that will involve the participation of the entire plastics value chain. Furthermore, it states that chemical and mechanical recycling will be expanded, and an “American-designed” producer responsibility system for plastic packaging will be established. That being said, a number of firms have reportedly made voluntary commitments to utilise at least 25% post-consumer resin (PCR) in their packaging by 2025. Paper-based composites not the answer to less waste Meanwhile, the ongoing criticism of plastic packaging has now led to quite a few companies replacing pure plastic packaging with packaging that contains paper.
Paper-based composites cause more packaging waste, a GVM study finds
SEPTEMBER 2021
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