Chris Slijkhuis

Director Sourcing

Kunststoffrecycling: Herausforderungen einer neuen Industrie

8. Schweizer Sonderabfalltag.Olten, 7. Juni 2011

Agenda

The environmental aspects of plastics recycling from WEEE

The legislative framework of plastics recycling

Brominated Flame Retardants

RoHS background and RoHS Re-Cast

Other Environmental considerations

Eco-Effective use of recycled plastics

Plastics recycling from E-Waste

E-Waste Plastics

The Raw Materials

The avg. composition of the Sourcing Material EU

HIPS27%

ABS24%

HIPS-FR2%

PPO2%

ABS-FR3%

PE1%

PC-ABS & PC6%

POM1%

PVC1%

Rubber3%

Other Plastics17%

Fluff/Foam

1% Wood

3%

PP3%

Fines1%

Ferrous & N-Ferrous1%

Wires & Elect Parts4%

Other Non-Plastics

1%

Post-consumer plastics were mostly discarded

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Glass Steel Paper Aluminum High Value Plastics

Recyle Rates

• Metals from durable goods recycled at 90+% rates• Plastics have high intrinsic value but extremely low recycle rate

Procurement Processing Selling

•Self-replenishing

•Sustainable and growing supply

•Growing supply

•Land-filled/Incinerated

•< 10% of energy

•<10% of water consumption

•Save about 1-3 tons CO2/ton

•Mechanical ‘mining’ process

•More sustainable business

•PCR plastics

•“Green” products

•Virgin-like quality possible

The Sustainable Model of Re-Producing plastics

CO2 Impact of MBA Polymers Recycling

SOURCE: Extracted from EMPA Paper presented at IERC Conference Salzburg Jan 2010

A closer look at CO2 Emissions

CO2 Emissions per Capita in MT/yr 2006 2007Austria 8,6 8,3USA 18,8 18,9Germany 9,9 9,6China 4,6 4,9

SOURCE: Wikipedia

Why recycling of tech plastics from/for electronics

Without plastics recycling EU recycling targets impossible• WEEE and ELV directives are clear in their targets• WEEE – 65 % for Small Domestic Appliances• ELV – 85 % as from 2015

Increasing pressure from the market and environment• NGO‘s like Greenpeace are putting industry under pressure to act• Consumers increasinlgly become aware and look for „green products“• EU Frame Work talks of developing a „recycling society“• REACH creates the framework as the new EU Chemical Regulation

Replacing virgin plastics with recycled makes sense• Recycled plastics were traditionally „down-cycled“• Best available technology now exists to recycle to high standards

Plastics recycling... huge environmental benefit

PCR Recycled Products already exist

Stable Properties with MBA Polymers’ Resins

MFR Analysis Type MBA PS 3130

4,0

5,0

6,0

7,0

8,0

9,0

10,0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160Samples

MFR

(200

°C/5

kg) i

n [g

/10m

in]

RoHS Compliant Plastics

Some examples of recent green products

Europe - Electrolux

“Made with 55% recycled plastic, the Ultra Silencer Green from Electrolux is the most energy-efficient cleaner on the market. Its new, high-efficiency motor reduces the Ultra Silencer’s energy consumption by 33% compared to a standard 2,000 watt vacuum cleaner. Because Ultra Silencer Green is made out of recycled materials, it is only available in black, as this color allows to achieve the best looking finish and quality when using recycled materials. To signify Eco friendliness of the Green vacuum cleaner, Electrolux designers added signature elements of green on the graphics and buttons.”SOURCE: Electrolux Pressrelease

Printer Cover and Components

Printer lid is made out of 100% MBA ABS

Product packaging advertises % recycled content

Trodat is world market leader office stamps Famous for their “eco printy” range Trodat substituted “virgin ABS” for “home-and-on-the-move stamps” MBA Polymers is supplier of these PCR plastics

“Eco-Printy” Stamps

The European legislation framework

Waste Legislation• The EU Waste Framework Directive• The EU Waste Shipment Regulation• The EU E-Waste Directive (WEEE Directive)• The EU End-Of-Life Vehicle Directive (ELV Directive)• And many other directives regarding waste, waste treatment,

hazardousness of waste etc.etc.

Product Legislation• The EU General Product Safety Directive (GPSD)• REACH Regulation Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction

of Chemical substances. The new law entered into force on 1 June 2007. • Many sector specific product legislation• And also RoHS – EU Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances

for Electric and Electronic appliances implemented 2004.

Brominated Flame Retardants

Some BFR‘s are indeed Substances of Concern• PBB Polybrominated Biphenyl – POP and PIC listed and restricted• PBB is chemically a different family of substances than PBDE‘s • Penta-BDE is POP listed (can hardly be found in electronics)• Octa- BDE – POP listed • These are all classified in REACH (threshold 1000 ppm each)• Studies showed that these thresholds are not surpassed in WEEE plastics

Deca-PBDE • Deca PBDE – not POP nor PIC listed nor classified under REACH• In use for a long period of time in electronics and is very efficient• Technically difficult to be replaced in some plastics• Controversial EU court decision (ref exemption RoHS)• EU court case is not based on toxicity, but only on procedural issues

Many Brominated-Flame Retardants can still be used

History on RoHS

RoHS = EU Directive 2002/95/EC “on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment”

RoHS was voted for Feb 2003 and took effect July 2006.

Substances restricted:o Leado Cadmiumo Mercuryo Hexavalent chromiumo Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) – not in use anymore at that momento Polybrominated diphenyl ethers/oxides (PBDEs) – widely used

The PBDE ban has had significant impacts both upstream — plastic material selection — and downstream — plastic material recycling

RoHS Re-Cast in line with time of WEEE Re-Cast – Owned by EU Greens

Original Report Jill Evans proposed ban on halogens

Extended Ban on a number of substances proposed Part A

o Lead (0,1%) o Mercury (0,1%) o Cadmium (0,01%) o Hexavalent chromium (0,1%) o Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) (0,1%) o Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDE) (0,1%)

Part B o Brominated flame retardants (0,1 %)o Chlorinated flame retardants (0,1 %)o Polyvinylchloride (PVC) (0,1 %)o Chlorinated plasticisers (0,1 %)o Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) (0,1%)o Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) (0,1 %)o Dibutylphthalate (DBP) (0,1 %)

Where are the halogens

Brominated Flame Retardants and PVC are widely used ino Plastics, housings, enclosureso Cableso Printed Circuit Boards, connectors, fanso Components (high power/heat)

Non-RoHS substitutes existo Non-brominated flame retardants such as inorganics

(Aluminum, Magnesium, Phosphorus)- based

But these can create problems in recyclingo No separation techniques available (yet)o Phosphorous based FR‘s can create phosphoric acid...

Legislator has not thought of impact of alternatives?

What we asked from legislators is simple

The Recycling industry needs a re-casted RoHS Directive that

Stimulates the development of a recycling industry

Is fully aligned with REACH

Does not contain an Annex III

Does not restrict or list any other substances over & above REACH

Recognizes the concept of a legacy of substances

In order to recycle eco-effectively:

Current status of RoHS re-cast debate

Annex III (request for urgent review) has been dropped

There is a consensus between EU Council and parliament since November 2010

Parliament vote is now planned for June after many delays

Recycling industry has tried to find exemption for „legacy substances“

RoHS is not fully aligned with REACH but it is close

RoHS close to being aligned with REACH

Other environmental considerations

If half of WEEE plastics were recycled from the EU: •Saving of nearly 2 million tons of CO2•Saving of some10 million kilowatt hours of energy •Representing over 7 million barrels of oil as feedstock •WEEE recyclers would become more economic•New jobs, as plastics recycling is more labor intensive•EU manufacturers would have more sustainable materials,

New standard for flat screens• Cenelec introduced new standard• Flame retardants for Flat Screens

Let industry deal with legacy:• New POP’s risk to have low thresholds• These might be a next thread for industry

Choose right priorities for eco effectiveness

10 mm

150 mm

Candle Accessible Area

Eco-Effective use of plastics for electronics Reduce the total number of plastic types, but several types are fine

• Use recyclable plastics that do not loose to much on IZOD (see EPEAT criteria)• Some 60 % of the plastics used for electronics are ABS, HIPS and PP • There are many „exotic“ plastics in too low quantities to be recovered

Exotic materials• can they be recovered?• Can they make recovery of major plastics more difficult.

Avoid using:• Unusual plastics that may not easily separate from common plastics • Cross-linked thermosets• Additives that are currently regulated • Avoid using glass filled polymers or structural foamed plastics.• Avoid using laminates. • incompatible adhesives • paints or metal coatings.

For fasteners, use a comparable plastic type or a magnetic metal• Magnetic material can be easily separated with magnet.

Use “compatible” paints if absolutely necessary to use paints.

Encourage the use of recycled plastics when possible.

Eco-effective use of PCR plastics Recycled plastics already contain pigments

• Design using blacks or grays• Avoid white or intense and bright colors.

Recycled plastics may contain small defects due to residual contaminants• Avoid light colored parts (where defects are seen more easily)• Design with textured or matt surfaces show less imperfections.

Consider the properties of recycled plastics when designing moulds• Recycled plastics have additional heat histories, MBA Polymers recommends slightly lower processing temp’s.

avoid use of hot runners at temperatures at or above the recommended processing temperature of the plasticavoid parts with weldline requiring high melt temperatures

• recycled plastics aren’t always able to meet same impact properties as virgin

Avoid stricter interpretation for substances than regulatory requirements• Recycled plastics contain “legacy additives”,

MBA Polymers can make RoHS and REACH compliant plastics Beyond these limits the costs for recycling quickly increase

• Not all BrFR’s are regulated – see chapter on BFR’se.g. EPEAT allows up to 3000 ppm for Br when using PCR content

Regulators, allow for working out legacy

Let us not loose our teeth....

Teamwork to Close the Loop for Plastics