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Circular economy & chemicals: Problems and Solutions

Dr A. Michael WarhurstExecutive Director, CHEM Trust

OECD Ministerial meeting29th September 2016

www.chemtrust.org.uk@chemtrust @mwarhurst

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Chemical problems for CE• A circular economy should lead to more reuse, recycling,

remanufacture – and longer product lifetimes• But hazardous chemicals can disrupt this:

– Long lasting products may contain chemicals that have since been banned, disrupting recycling & remanufacturing

• (& in theory re-use, though this is often ignored)– Contamination of feedstock; it’s harder to control feedstock quality

for a recycled material vs a virgin one• Two examples:

– Bisphenol A (BPA): High volume chemical, used in food can linings, thermal paper, polycarbonate plastics

– Brominated flame retardants (BFRs): Large group of chemicals, used in furniture, electronics, building products.

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1) Bisphenol A (BPA) in thermal paper• BPA is used in thermal paper (e.g. till

receipts)– This then enters the recycled paper stream

• Problem for circular economy: – Recycled paper & card (e.g. pizza boxes)

contaminated with BPA [1]– BPA an endocrine disrupting chemical, banned in

baby bottles• Solutions:

– Stop recycling thermal paper with other paper?• Impractical?

– Restrict BPA use in thermal paper?• EU is doing this [2]

– Regulate recycled paper use in food contact [3]?

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2) Brominated Flame Retardants in kitchen plastics

• Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) used in plastics, e.g. in electronics– many restricted, some UNEP

POPs (e.g. HBCDD & PentaBDE [4])

• Researchers found in black kitchen plastics on sale on EU market– Presumably through recycling

of e.g. electronics waste [5]

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3) BFRs in furniture & building products• Widely used, long lived products

– Increases the chance that will contain banned chemicals by the time they enter the waste stream.

– A reservoir of hazardous chemicals [6]• Recycling can spread contamination

– E.g. BFR-contaminated polyurethane is being recycled into carpet backing in USA [7]

• Solutions– Rapid action to remove problem chemicals from

products, at design stage (including pre-regulation)– Not everything can be recycled/remanufactured –

contaminated materials may need to be disposed of; but information flow needed

– Balance value of resource vs concern re hazard in policy & regulation

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Recommendations1. Design non-toxic products, with faster, more

precautionary, safety assessment and regulation of chemicals

2. Ensure recycled materials & remanufactured goods are properly regulated (with enforcement), e.g. paper/card food contact materials, carpet backing etc.

3. Improve (global) information flow on hazardous materials in finished products

4. Some materials should not be recycled See briefing: http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/circulareconomy

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References[1] Test: Unwanted chemicals found in pizza boxes, Danish Consumer Council, 19th Oct 2015

http://kemi.taenk.dk/bliv-groennere/test-unwanted-chemicals-found-pizza-boxes [2] EU Chemical Agency committee agrees that Bisphenol A in receipts poses risk to workers, Jun

2015:http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/eu-chemical-agency-committee-agrees-that-bisphenol-a-in-receipts-poses-risk-to-workers/

[2] Chemicals in food contact materials: A gap in the internal market, a failure in public protection, CHEM Trust, January 2016:http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/foodcontact/

[4] Listing of POPs in the Stockholm Convention, Stockholm Convention:http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/ThePOPs/ListingofPOPs

[5] Occurrence of brominated flame retardants in black thermo cups and selected kitchen utensils purchased on the European market, Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, Volume 30, Issue 11, 2013:http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19440049.2013.829246#.VYp4uVWWGMU

[6] Stubbings, W. A., & Harrad, S. (2014). Extent and mechanisms of brominated flame retardant emissions from waste soft furnishings and fabrics: A critical review. Environment International, 71, 164-175http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412014001822

[7] Optimizing Recycling: Post-Consumer Flexible Polyurethane Foam Scrap Used In Building Products, Health Building Network, July 2016:http://www.healthybuilding.net/news/2016/07/29/post-consumer-flexible-polyurethane-foam-scrap-used-in-building-products