Sustainable Technologies for Plastics Recycling
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Sustainable Technologies for Plastics Recycling
Innventik Consulting has performed a Technology Intelligence analysis and issued updated reports for the following Technologies for Plastics and Thermoplastic Elastomers Recycling:
- Mechanical Recycling Processes
- Dissolution (Solvent-Based) Technologies
- Depolymerization Technologies
- Thermal Cracking Technologies
Innventik Engineering has also engaged in the design (engineering) of new plants for Plastics Recycling, applying different technologies and types of processes, depending on the type of waste. We are familiar with the main Technologies, the main Players, and the relevant legislation.
There is a strong need for ad-hoc Plastic Recycling Technologies.
There is a need for reliable information and for economical processes for Plastics Recycling. It is a challenging, long-term business opportunity that is having the demand and support from society, governments, and organizations. Sustainability practices have existed for a long time, but COVID pandemic reignited the interest and need for implementing these technologies at all levels. Plastic waste has come to dominate the outlook for the whole plastics industry. Polymer producers and technology companies are now turning to the overwhelming task to analyze the different recycling technologies. The circularity of plastics has risen rapidly up the agenda for the whole global plastics industry. Campaign groups have tried to highlight the problem of plastic waste in the environment for many years, but it only cut through to the public in 2018 with the media coverage of plastic pollution in oceans and on beaches. The problem of what to do about waste plastics remains just as strong. The European Union responded with actions including its Plastics Strategy, with medium-term targets for reducing plastics waste and more immediate action to ban plastics in certain single-use items. The problem has been recognized all over the world and many countries have implemented or are implementing regulations. China’s ban on most plastic waste imports was followed by other Asian countries. A key approach to the problem is circularity, which encompasses a reduction in material usage and the recycling of materials so that loops are crated in material production and use, thereby cutting the amount of waste. Materials suppliers, recycling players, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods products sold quickly and relatively cheaply, multinational brand owners, and packaging manufacturers, are all actively reducing virgin plastics and increasing recycled plastics in packaging.
Mechanical Recycling.
Plastics packaging is the major focus for most companies in the plastics industry, because of the huge volumes of packaging waste and because this is where the social concern is the greatest. Mechanical recycling is a more established transformation route for waste plastics, and it has the advantage of being a cheaper and less energy-intensive process than chemical recycling. But current small capacities for mechanical recycling are not enough to deliver the huge tonnage of recycled plastics that are necessary to meet regulatory and corporate targets. This is where large-scale polymer producers believe they can step in and help. Collection, sorting issues with degradation and contamination limiting packaging applications are the main challenges for mechanical recycling.
Dissolution Technologies.
Dissolution Technologies are common technologies for the recycling of Polystyrene (PS), Polyolefins (PO), PVC, PET, with differences on the selected solvents to dissolve the polymer from the mixed waste, allowing insoluble contaminants such as fillers and pigments to be filtered out. These technologies are usually developed internally with the support of engineering firms, and processing equipment manufacturers. This type of technology requires engineering design and needs to prove economic feasibility plus scaling.
Depolymerization Technologies.
This type of technology is certainly a chemical recycling process, typically using heat and often a catalyst, to convert a polymer back to its building block monomers – for this reason, it is sometimes referred to as “monomer recovery process”. It is most suitable for use with step-growth polymers such as PET which are polymerized by condensation but can be applied to Polystyrene. This type of technology requires engineering design and needs to prove economic feasibility plus scaling.
Thermal Cracking Technologies.
This type of technology converts waste plastic and other contaminants back to basic feedstock components (i.e., Hydrocarbons, syngas. Two processes are used to thermally crack polymers: pyrolysis cracks the polymer chain at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen; gasification heats the polymer with a controlled but limited amount of oxygen. Both yield a different mix of end products with targeted applications ranging from fuels to different chemical feedstocks. In general, conventional pyrolysis thermal cracking is a simple technology that can be applied for mixed plastics, PO, PS, and when sorting and classification are difficult to achieve. This type of technology requires engineering design and needs to prove economic feasibility plus scaling.
CONCLUSIONS.
- An average consumer today uses at least 50 items a day that depend on plastics for their functionality and performance. With global polymer demand passing 300 million tons in 2021, the plastics processing industry is thriving in most countries, but the industry is also facing new challenges, particularly in more developed markets including the US, Europe, and North-East Asia. Plastic pollution has become a global environmental issue and one that is currently receiving much media attention steering an anti-plastic movement in society.
- A very important driver is legislation limiting or prohibiting the use of virgin fossil fuel-based plastics in different industries.
- Brands and packaging manufacturers setting sustainability targets is another important driver.
- Many technologies and solutions for plastics recycling are available. There is no one solution that fits all.
Source: Innventik Technology Intelligence Key Report. RELEVANT TECHNOLOGIES FOR PLASTICS RECYCLING. (2023)