Statutory recyclate quotas and the specifications of brand-name producers are weighing heavily on the packaging branch these days and turning recyclate availability into a hot issue. Some polymers are simply not available in sufficient amounts. Experts at the 31st Dresden Packaging Conference provided insights into the current situations and explained why the situation could worsen in the future.

Recyclates of many polymer types are hard to get right now.

16:9

Verpackungsmaterial

Logistik

Streifinger, Florian

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Hard-to-Find Recylates

The Danish company Plastix recycles old fishing nets and ropes. The granules produced are used by JSP International, among others, to manufacture expanded polypropylene (EPP).

11 % of the plastic waste in the sea comes from the maritime industry. For the recycling of old fishing nets and ropes, accurate sorting is very important

Expanded Polypropylene from Maritime Plastic Waste

Schaumstoffe und Vorprodukte

Schaumstoffe

Standardkunststoffe

Thermoplaste

Polypropylen-Compound

Polypropylen

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

From Fishing Net to Particle Foam

The plastics industry has a variety of materials and technologies available for significantly reducing the ecological footprint of products. There are very few applications for which it is not possible to replace at least a portion of the fossil material with recyclates or bioplastics. Various methods, standards and software tools are available to determine what savings this can achieve.

Determining CO2 Savings from Recycled Materials and Bioplastics

Simulation

Software

Normen / Standards

Recht allgemein / sonst.

Biokunststoffe

Reducing the CO2 Footprint

Electrical and electronics manufacturers want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their products and optimize waste management and recycling for them. This can be achieved, among other ways, by using more sustainable thermoplastics and quality-assured recyclates. A close cooperation between companies to establish material cycles and the recycling-friendly design of equipment are also important.

Driving Sustainability Trends in the Electrical and Electronics Industry with Polymers

Elektronik

Technische Kunststoffe

Polycarbonat

Support for a Greener E&E World

A growing number of companies and industrial sectors would like to use recyclates for their products. However, the application is frequently still confronted with considerable difficulties. And the extension of recycling to other fields and sectors also poses new questions. An overview of the current status and associated technical solutions was provided in conference “Forum Plastic Recyclates” at the end of March.

Conference Minutes of “Forum Plastic Recyclates”

Additive

Start into a Second Life for Plastics

Chinaplas 2022, to be held from April 25 to 28, will bring together more than 4000 exhibitors of the plastics and rubber industries from all over the world to launch innovative green solutions.

The 3rd Chinaplas x CPRJ Plastics Recycling and Circular Economy Conference and Showcase will be held one day prior to the show in Shanghai (photo from last year’s event).

Kunststoffe

Photonik

Optik

Verbände, Institutionen, Messen

Dienstleistungen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Kunststoff-Verpackungsmaschine

Sondermaschinen

The Theme Color of the Show Is Green

The HolyGrail 2.0 Initiative aims to improve the sorting of plastic waste. But the method also has certain drawbacks. Here, luminescent pigments provide an alternative.

Marker masterbatches enable different information to be embedded in plastics. This can be used to improve the recycling circle.

Improved Sorting of Plastic Waste with Luminescent Pigments

Messtechnik

Additiv-Batches

Luminous Markers instead of Holy Grail

Polymaker will offer the Polymaker PC-r 3D printing filament made from recycled polycarbonate (PC). The PC for the filaments comes from materials supplier Covestro and consists of a combination of recycled plastic waste and virgin material.

The combination of recyclates and virgin material reduces the carbon footprint of the polycarbonate and still allows it to be extruded into filaments

Filamente für additive Verfahren

Andere Werkstoffe

Werkstoffe für additive Verfahren

Additive Fertigung

Water Bottles Become Filaments

The IKV is researching digital solutions for better description and classification of recyclates. The aim is to increase the actual recyclate use rates. Results will be presented at the IKV colloquium in September.

PlasticBOND: Schematic illustration of the platform design to be developed.

Digitale Transformation

Wirtschaft

Innovationen und neue Technologie

Research to Improve Recyclate Use

IKV develops recyclable packaging solutions with the help of plasma technologies and presents the current state of research at the IKV colloquium in September.

Oberflächenbeschichtung

Holz

Recyclable Barrier Systems for Sustainable Packaging

Time to take stock: in what condition and with what agenda is the industry presenting itself after two-and-a-half years of a difficult climate? We have conducted a survey: insights into the dominant themes of the age.

Preview of K 2022: Kunststoffe Questionnaire on the Situation in Injection Molding Machine Construction

Spritzgießen

Steuerungen (Hardware und Software)

Automatisierungstechnik

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

Steuern, Regeln

Nachhaltigkeit

Mess-, Steuer- und Regelgeräte

Qualitätssicherung

Qualitätssicherung Kunststoff

Energieeffizienz

Spritzgießmaschinen

Harsh Realities

Interview with Korbinian Kiesl, President of Billion SAS

kunststoffe.de

“In difficult economic times, recycling is a reason to invest”

Lightweight construction, functionality and design are characteristic of material development in all areas of application for PC compounds, composites and films. The range of materials has enormous opportunities when it comes to the mobility of the future, lightweight structural construction with continuous fiber-reinforced composites, 5G technology and medical technology.

In electric vehicles, the original function of the radiator grille, namely to supply air to the engine, is no longer needed. It can therefore be used entirely as a design element, for example by integrating luminous logos and fade-out effects

Polycarbonate (PC)

Automotive

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Present in a Multitude of Trends

Renouncement is the trend that determines public perception of plastics today. Many consumers prefer products that are better for the environment, which is often equated to using less plastics. It is true, though, that plastics are important materials when it comes to finding answers to the challenges posed by the increase in population, high energy demand as well as growing urbanization and mobility.

Dr. Michael Zobel, Vice-President at PlasticsEurope Deutschland e. V. and Managing Director, High Performance Materials, at Lanxess Deutschland GmbH, Dormagen, Germany

Guest Commentary by Dr. Michael Zobel

Leichtbau

Kunststoffhandel

Handel

Werkstoff

The Answer to Many Questions

Bio-based plastics can lock away vast quantities of CO2 in durable, recyclable applications and make a real contribution to climate protection. All that is needed for this is the right product design and a functioning circular economy. By focusing more on this approach, the plastics sector has the chance to evolve into a key industry of a green economy.

Furniture and furnishings with a long service life are the ideal applications for bioplastics

20:7

How Bio-Based Polymers Can Help Sequester CO2 for the Long Term

Kunststoffe, biobasiert

Kunststoffe, bioabbaubar

Kunststofffasern

Verstärkungsstoffe

Into the Future with Biopolymers

“Unfortunately, the Only Globally Accepted Ideology Is Money”

Alfred Stern, CEO of Borealis, Talks about the Circular Economy

In this interview with Kunststoffe, Alfred Stern, CEO of Borealis, explains why he considers fixed recycling quotas to be necessary and why voluntary commitments do not work.

Recycled plastics had a difficult time last year, with demand for them falling sharply. As a result, environmental associations and recycling companies are calling on politicians to take measures to promote the circular economy as a result. They are not alone – plastics producers such as Borealis have also joined in. In this interview with Kunststoffe, Alfred Stern, CEO of Borealis, explains why he considers fixed recycling quotas to be necessary and why voluntary commitments do not work.

As a result of the coronavirus crisis and the low price of oil, demand for recycled plastics slumped in 2020. Recycling companies and associated trade associations therefore urgently called on politicians to enact legislative measures to stimulate and stabilize demand. Alfred Stern, CEO of Borealis, also sees these developments as a threat to the circular economy. Kunststoffe spoke with him about the regulations that are necessary and the problems that still exist in plastics recycling.

Kunststoffe: Over the past year, there has been a substantial drop in demand for recycled materials. This is not only due to the coronavirus. Do you see this as a once-off phenomenon or more as a long-term trend?

Alfred Stern: Owing to the coronavirus crisis, many fresh food counters, for example, have been, and still are, closed. Sausages and cheeses were and still are only available in packaged form. There is therefore a growing perception that plastic packaging is not just waste, but that it also has a function, namely to keep food fresh and to aid compliance with hygiene rules. For this reason, demand for plastics has developed very well at our company. For me, this is a sign that we have to take the circular economy much more seriously. The pandemic has shown that the functional role played by plastics is not one that can be easily replaced. Hence the considerable increase in pressure to implement the circular economy and recycle larger quantities of plastics.

Kunststoffe: Nevertheless, demand for recycled materials has decreased.

Stern: Borealis is one of the largest plastics recyclers in Europe. We carry out recycling at three plants, the profitability of which has indeed suffered greatly over the past year. This is because raw material costs for virgin material fell sharply during the crisis. On one hand, virgin material became cheaper to procure but, on the other, the price of collecting, sorting and cleaning remained the same. That is why recycled materials have become less competitive.

Kunststoffe: Do you expect this to continue over the long term?

Stern: That risk certainly exists. It depends on how raw material prices develop. In order to shoulder the massive investments that are necessary to get the circular economy rolling, we need to put a supportive legal and fiscal framework in place whose task is to create conditions that make it attractive for companies to invest in this area.

Kunststoffe: Which measures are necessary?

Stern: Three very simple things come to mind. First, we should not be exporting our plastics waste – the raw materials for the circular economy – out of Europe. Shipping waste to Asia is not helpful. We must put a stop to that. Second, recycling quotas are needed. And third, EPR systems (extended producer responsibility – editor’s note) should be designed in an eco-modulated way, such that recycled products cost less than those made entirely from virgin material.

Kunststoffe: Various models of fixed recycling quotas are in discussion. These could apply, say, to products or to companies. In the latter case, every manufacturer would be given a specific quota to fill. Which model makes more sense?

Stern: The key lies in generating demand for recycled plastics. This demand has to emanate from the market and not from the manufacturers. Consequently, quotas should apply to products. If demand rises and there is insufficient production capacity to cover it, prices will rise. And companies will then automatically invest in greater capacity. If, on the other hand, the producers have to meet quotas, there is a risk that they will offer more of the corresponding goods but will be unable to sell them because there is no demand. That scenario does not constitute good use of market forces.

Kunststoffe: So the main problem in plastics recycling is not enough demand and thus insufficient profitability?

Stern: At present, the prices of recycled materials are to a certain extent linked to the prices of virgin materials. If virgin materials become cheaper, the prices of recycled materials must also decrease so that they can be sold. That is why it is so important to generate demand for recycled material – it will enable this link to be broken. Of course a number of progressive companies are already forcing the issue independently and are willing to pay higher prices for such materials. Some companies, for instance, have set themselves targets to have a certain percentage of recycled materials in their products. But the massive changes needed to transform the industry cannot be achieved by just a few pioneers on their own; broad-based support is called for. We need massive investment. And that will only happen if profitability is assured.

Kunststoffe: So voluntary commitments on their own are not enough?

Stern: In my opinion, there is no evidence anywhere in the world to show that environmental compatibility is increased by voluntary commitments. Neither as regards CO2 emissions nor other issues. The decisive criterion is profitability. Unfortunately, the only globally accepted ideology we have is money.

Kunststoffe: With its New Green Deal, the EU Commission has formulated measures and goals for a more sustainable economic policy in Europe. Are these measures and goals conducive to strengthening the circular economy?

Stern: The Green Deal contains the right visions. It represents an opportunity not just for Europe, but for the whole world. But the specific steps taken next will be crucial. A good example is the planned plastic tax. It is important that consumers, industry and politics work together to apply it in such a way that it genuinely has a steering effect. It could have a strong impact, for example, if implemented via an eco-modulated EPR system. If this is done sensibly, the entire industry will jump on board to optimize the cost structure. However, it needs to be implemented carefully and must take all the consequences into account. We need to avoid creating a “tropical island” within global competition only to find that we are no longer competitive.

Kunststoffe: Plastics converters also frequently criticize the quality of the recycled materials. Is that not a major problem, aside from profitability?

Stern: It’s true that there is huge variation in the quality of recycled materials on offer. However, it is already possible at the present moment to provide guarantees of quality. Standards of quality can be raised through innovations and technologies. But we mustn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. At Borealis we are concerned with “designing for circularity”, which starts off with “designing for reuse”, i. e. applications that are used several times before being disposed of. In addition, the products must be designed for easy recycling. Mono-material solutions can be processed very easily, e. g. by mechanical recycling. This means that it is possible to achieve high quality with low energy consumption. Where waste cannot be recycled mechanically, the next step is to send it to chemical recycling. In this connection, we are collaborating, for example, with our principal owner, OMV. Chemical recycling yields synthetic oil which can be processed in full into new goods of the same quality. In addition, plastics from renewable raw materials such as food waste are also being used. We are already operating all these technologies commercially, albeit only in small quantities.

Kunststoffe: So the desired standard of quality of recycled materials could be achieved if all processes were fully utilized?

Stern: Yes. However, the problem at present lies in obtaining sufficiently large quantities in consistent quality. So, I am appealing once again for framework conditions to be created that offer incentives for investment. This is the only way to achieve the necessary quantities.

Kunststoffe: You have just opened a new recycling plant in Lahnstein, Germany. What is that about?

Stern: We believe the demonstration plant there to be the last word in mechanical recycling plants. We want to use it to show what can be achieved when modern technology and machinery are deployed in a state-of-the-art mechanical recycling plant. This is a joint collaboration between us and the companies Tomra and Zimmermann Recycling, with each partner contributing its know-how. We at Borealis are looking after the commercial side, we know the customers and are familiar with product development and applications. Tomra is known for its collection and sorting technologies, Zimmermann has many years of experience in waste management, including the sorting and recycling of plastics. The plant produces high and low density polyethylene and polypropylene. The materials produced differ from recycled materials currently available on the market in terms of their purity, low odor, high product quality and bright colors. We hope this approach will open up other markets and applications, e. g. in the automotive sector or in caps & closures.

Kunststoffe: What type of waste are you processing there?

Stern: Both rigid and flexible post-consumer. I don’t mean sorted and pre-sorted waste, but rather classic post-consumer household waste.

Kunststoffe: What quantities are being processed?

Stern: It is a demonstration plant. The quantities are large enough for us to conduct qualification tests with customers to show which applications the technology lends itself to.

Kunststoffe: Are you planning to expand the site into a commercial plant with your partners at a future date?

Stern: We did not build the plant without having a vision for the future. But first we are looking at how well it performs and gaging the extent of interest. The point of the demonstration plant is to improve the technology and to gain experience for future large-scale operation.

The interview was conducted by Florian Streifinger and Susanne Schröder, Editors.

Borealis AG  

https://www.borealisgroup.com

Ausgabenartikel

Together with Tomra and Zimmermann Recycling, Borealis has built a demonstration plant in Lahnstein. According to its own information, the most modern plant for mechanical recycling is intended to show what is possible with modern technology and equipment in a state-of-the-art plant for mechanical recycling

Borealis - Hauptartikel

Alfred Stern has been CEO of Borealis since July 2018 and a board member at the plastics producer since 2012. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was responsible for the Polyolefins and Innovation & Technology divisions. Stern has been working for Borealis since 2008. Before that, he held various management positions at DuPont, including Research and Development, Sales and Marketing, and Quality and Business Management. He studied Polymer Engineering and Science at the University of Leoben, Austria, and holds a PhD in Material Science.

“Nowhere in the world is environmental compatibility increased through voluntary commitments.”