Compelling Facts About Plastics 2007

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The Compelling Facts About Plastics 2007An analysis of plastics production, demand and recovery for 2007 in EuropePublished in October 2008

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• Methodologyandchanges page 4

• �007–Ataglance page 5

•Plasticsprotecttheclimate,boostresourceefficiencyandgiveusasaferlife page 6

•Productionofandmarketdemandforplasticsinaglobalcontext page 8

•ProductionanddemandinEU�7+NO/CH page 9

•ConverterDemandperpolymerandapplication page �0

•ArevisedWasteFrameworkDirective(WFD)pavingthewayfora page ��

resourceefficientEurope

•Plasticscontributeinmanywaystosustainableuseofresources page ��

•Biobased&BiodegradablePlastics:“Bioplastics” page ��

•Plasticssupplychainfromcradletocradle page �4

•Plasticscontinuetodecouplegrowthindemandandmaterialtolandfill page �5

•Slowprogresstowardsdiversionfromlandfill page �6

•Trendsinrecycling page �7

-Plasticbottlesaresuitableforrecycling page �7

-RecyclingofPVCreaches�50,000tonnesayear page �8

•PackagingRecyclingBeyondtheBottle page �9

•Trendsinenergyrecovery page �0

•PlasticProducts,ApplicationsandGoods–enablersofinnovationinsociety page ��

•Recoverytrendsbyapplication page ��

•Whoarewe? page ��

Tableofcontents

Methodologyandchanges

Thisbrochureon�007production,demandandrecoveryis

theeighteenthannualpublicationbythemanufacturersof

plasticsinEuropeandpartners.

Thepurposeofthisbrochureistoprovideanoverviewof

thedevelopmentofplasticsfromproduction,overtheir

useinawidevarietyofapplicationstotheprogressmade

torecovertheplasticsattheirend-of-lifephase.

PlasticsEurope’sMarketResearchandStatisticsGroup

(PEMRG)providedtheinputonproductionofanddemand

fortheplasticsrawmaterials.

Thedatafortheend-of-lifephasewascollectedina

plasticsvaluechainpartnershipinvolvingPlasticsEurope,

EuPC(theEuropeanPlasticsConverters),EuPR(the

EuropeanPlasticsRecyclers)andEPRO(theEuropean

AssociationofPlasticsRecyclingandRecovery

Organisations).

ConsulticMarketing&IndustrieberatungGmbHhas

complementedtheworktoassessthewastegeneration

andrecoverydataforEU�7+NO/CH.

Forrecoverydata,officialstatisticshavebeenused

wheneveravailablefromEuropeanornationalauthorities

andwastemanagementcompaniesororganisations.

Whererequiredresearchorknowhowfromconsultants

hasbeenusedtocompletethepicture.

Thefigurescannotalwaysbedirectlycomparedtothose

publishedearlierduetochangesintheestimatesofboth

marketdemandandthewastegenerated.However,the

overalldifferencesaresmallandarevisionofearlier

estimateshasbeenmadetoenablethehistoricalprogress

tobetrackedofboththeuseandrecoveryofplastics

acrossEuropeduringthelastdecade.Thecountries

coveredbythisdatachangestofollowEUenlargement,

henceRomaniaandBulgariaareincludedfrom�007

onwards.Whenmakingpercentagecomparisonswith

�006thisisdonebyincludingthesetwocountries

althoughtheywerenotincludedinthe�006report.

Also,asmanyfiguresaretheresultofassessments

applyingthesamedefinitionsacrossEU�7+NO/CHthey

candeviatefromcorrespondingnumbersquotedbyother

sources,astheymayusedifferentdefinitionsorhave

madealternativeassessments.

4

EuropeanPlasticConverters

�007–Ataglance

Plastics continue to be a global success story with Europe (EU27+Norway (NO) and Switzerland (CH)) remaining a major manufacturing region, producing about 25% of the total estimated worldwide plastics production of 260 million tonnes.

For the whole of the plastics industry – producers, convertersand machinery manufacturers – the overall turnover in EU27+NO/CH 2007 was in excess of 300 billion euro, with the industry employing more than 1.6 million people.

The demand by converters for plastics in Europe (EU27+NO/CH) increased from 51 million tonnes in 2006 to 52.5 million tonnes in 2007, an increase of 3%.

The recovery rate of post-consumer end-of-life plastics now stands at 50% in EU27+NO/CH (up 1% point on the previous year) and disposal stands at 50% (down by 1% point compared to 2006). The recycling rate for post-consumer plastics has increased to 20.4% - up from 19.5% in 2006. Energy recovery remains unchanged at 29.2%.

Nine of the EU27+NO/CH states recover more than 80% of their used plastics – one more than last year (Norway). 7 of these states are among the top 8 best performers for recycling and together they represent the top 9 states for energy recovery. Their performance is achieved by adopting an integrated resource management strategy incorporating a range of complementary options, addressing different streams with the best environmental and economic option for each one.

The decoupling in EU27+NO/CH of the growth in used plasticsand the volume of plastics waste going to disposal continued. Used plastics going to disposal remained stable at 12.4 million tonnes/year against a growth in plastics use of 3%.

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6

Plasticsplayasignificantroleacrosstheenvironmental,

societalandeconomicdimensionsofsustainable

development.Ourmodernlifestylewouldnotbepossible

withoutplastics.Plasticsmeetthedemandsofsociety

byenablingtheeco-efficientmanufactureofnumerous

valuableproductssuchasprotectivepackaging,lightweight

andsafetycomponentsincars,mobilephones,insulation

materialsinbuildings,medicaldevices,andkeycomponents

forapplicationsasdiverseasrenewableenergyproduction

andprotectioninextremeconditions.

Climate protection

Incars,around60%byweightoftheplasticsusedenhance

comfortandsafetywhile40%areusedinapplications

contributingtoweightreduction,resultinginconsiderable

fuelsavingsandareductioninCO�emissions.Theweight

reductionenabledbytheplasticinamoderncarsavesover

500loffueloveritslifetime.

InanAirbus�80,highperformanceplasticcomposites

reducethepassengercostperseatthroughlowerweight

andconsequentlylowerfuelconsumption.

Homesandbuildingsarekeptwarm(orcool!)byplastics

insulation.Withabout40%ofallprimaryenergyconsumed

globallyusedinbuildings,optimuminsulationhasbecome

oneofthepriorityinitiativestoreachtheKyototargets.

Anincreasinguseoflightweightplasticspackagingreduces

boththeweightofthetransportandtheproportionof

thepackagedgoodsthatarewasted–bothofwhichreduce

CO�emissions.

Plasticsenabletherotorsinwindturbinestobelonger

andmoreeffectiveandcomponentsinphotovoltaicpanels

toincreasetheirefficiency.

Resource efficiency

Withoutplasticspackaging,ithasbeenestimatedthatthe

tonnageofalternativepackagingmaterialswouldincrease

byafactorof4,emissionsofgreenhousegasesbyafactor

of�,costsbyafactorof�.9,energyusebyafactorof�.5,

andwastebyafactorof�.6involume.Allthesefactors

arebasedonthecurrentsituation.Withtheuseofplastics

expectedtocontinuetoincreaseinthefuturetheeffectwill

bebiggeryear-by-year.

Inaddition,plasticspackagingsavesresourcesby

protectingfoodinitsjourneyfromfarmtosupermarket

andintoourkitchens.Thiscanbeillustratedinanumberof

ways:inthedevelopingworld50%offoodiswastedfrom

farmtokitchen;oncetheyhavereachedthesupermarket

loosely-packedfruitsandvegetablescreate�6%more

wastecomparedtopre-packedproduce;�.5gofplastics

filmextendstheshelflifeofacucumberfrom�to�4days.

Some�0gofmultilayerfilminaMAP(modifiedatmospheric

packaging)packageformeatextendstheshelflifefroma

fewdaystomorethanaweek.TheamountofCO�usedto

produceasingleportionofmeatisabout�00timesbigger

thanthatusedtoproducethemultilayerfilm.

Innovativedesignusesplasticsfortheouterdrumof

washingmachines,reducingbothwaterandenergy

consumption.

Plasticsprotecttheclimate,boostresource

efficiencyandgiveusasaferlife

Plasticpipescansecuresafe,leak-freeandefficient

transportofdrinkingwaterandsewagewithoutwastingor

contaminatingthisincreasinglyscarceresource.

Plastics give us a safer life

Plasticsprotectusfrominjuryinnumerousways,whether

weareinthecar,workingasafirefighterorskiing.

Airbagsinacararemadeofplastics,thehelmetandmuch

oftheprotectiveclothingforamotorcyclistisbasedon

plastics,anastronaut’ssuitmustsustaintemperatures

from-�50degreesCelsiusto+��0degreesandthe

fire-fightersrelyuponplasticsclothingwhichprotects

againsthightemperatures,ventilatesandareflexibleto

workin.

Plasticssafeguardourfoodanddrinkfromexternal

contaminationandthespreadofmicrobes.Plastics

flooringandfurnitureareeasytokeepcleantohelp

preventthespreadofbacteriaine.g.hospitals.

Inthemedicalareaplasticsareusedforbloodpouches

andtubing,artificiallimbsandjoints,contactlenses

andartificialcornea,stitchesthatdissolve,splintsand

screwsthathealfracturesandmanyotherapplications.

Incomingyearsnanopolymerswillcarrydrugsdirectly

todamagedcellsandmicro-spiralswillbeusedtocombat

coronarydisease.Artificialbloodbasedonplasticsis

beingdevelopedtocomplementnaturalblood.

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8

Atrackrecordofcontinuousinnovationhasdrivenaglobal

averageincreaseinproductionandconsumptionofabout

9%everyyearsince�950.Fromaround�.5milliontonnes

in�950,thetotalglobalproductionofplasticsgrewto

�60milliontonnesin�007asshowninFigure�.

Ananalysisofplasticmaterialsconsumptiononaper

capitabasisshowsthatthishasnowgrownto

approximately�00kginNAFTAandWesternEurope,with

thepotentialtogrowtowards�40kgpercapitaby�0�5.

Thehighestpotentialforgrowthcanbefoundinthe

rapidlydevelopingpartsofAsia(excludingJapan),where

currentlythepercapitaconsumptionisonlyaround�0kg.

IntheEuropeancontext,itisthenewMemberStates

whichareexpectedtoseethebiggestpercentageincrease

astheireconomiesdevelop.Theircurrentaverageper

capitaconsumption,between50and55kg,isalittlemore

thanhalfofthatoftheoldMemberStates(Figure�).

Productionofandmarketdemandforplasticsinaglobalcontext

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Mio t

1950: 1.5

Europe(WE + CEE)

2007:651976: 50

1989: 100

2002: 200

2006: 245

World

2007: 260

Includes Thermoplastics, Polyurethanes, Thermosets, Elastomers, Adhesives, Coatings and Sealants and PP-Fibers. Not included PET-, PA- and Polyacryl-Fibers

Figure�.WorldPlasticsProduction�950-�007

Source: PlasticEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG)

1980 2005 CAGR in % 2005 - 2015e2015eTotal World

4.3%

45

11

30

4.1 %

Western Europe

3.2 %

Central Europe + CIS

7.3 %

Latin America

4.3%

Middle East / Africa

4.1%

Japan

1.9 %

Asia w/o Japan

6.0 %

139

105

46

32

7

136

99

40

1610

3

3620

2

48

24

9

10889

50

21

NAFTA

2.8 %

Figure�.Plasticdemandbyconverterspercapitaperregion


EU�7+NO/CHrepresent�5%oftheglobalplastic

productionwithabout65milliontonnes/year,slightly

aboveNAFTAat��%.WithinEurope,theplasticproduction

facilitiesarewellspread.Germanyisthemajorproducer,

accountingfor7.5%ofglobalproduction,followedby

theBenelux(4.5%),France(�%),Italy(�%)andthe

UKandSpain(�.5%)(Figure�).

PlasticsdemandbyconvertersinEU�7+Norwayand

Switzerlandwas5�.5milliontonnesin�007.Thedemand

expressedastonnageofvirginresinprocessedby

EuropeanconvertersbycountryisshowninFigure4.

ThemajorcountriesareGermanyandItaly,whichtogether

accountforaround40%oftheEuropeanconversionto

plasticproducts.OfthenewMemberStates,Polandhas

thehighestplasticconversion,currentlyatabout�.�5m

tonnesoftheEuropeantotal.TheCzechRepublicand

Hungaryareeachatabouthalfthislevel.Itisexpected

thattheconvertingindustriesinmostofthenewMember

Stateswillgrowstronglyinthecomingyears.

ProductionanddemandinEU�7+NO/CH

140

625

5350

12250

865

880

330

8315

190

240

10

2010

2350

825

645

365

210

4785

880

4350

275

890

Figure�.WorldPlasticsProduction�007

Figure4. Plasticdemandbyconverters:breakdownbycountryin

Europe(ktonnes/year)



9

Therearearoundtwentydistinctgroupsofplastics,each

withnumerousgradesavailabletoenabletheoptimum

choicetobemadeforeachspecificapplication.

Therearefivehigh-volumefamiliesofplastics.Theseare

polyethylene(includinglowdensity(LDPE),linearlow

density(LLDPE)andhighdensity(HDPE)),polypropylene

(PP),polyvinylchloride(PVC),polystyrene(solidPS

andexpandableEPS)andpolyethyleneterephthalate

(PET).Togetherthebig5accountforaround75%ofall

plasticsdemandinEurope.During�007,alloftheabove

experiencedgrowthindemandintherangeof0.5to

7.5%-withanaverageof�%(Figure5).

Packagingremainsthebiggestend-useforplasticsat�7%

followedbyBuildingandConstructionat��%.Automotive

andElectrical&Electronicuse8%and6%respectively.

Finallymedical,leisureandotherapplicationsuse�8%

(Figure6).

ConverterDemandperpolymerandapplication

Figure6.DemandbyconverterbyEndUseSegment

Figure5.ConverterDemandperpolymerandapplication



�0

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ArevisedWasteFrameworkDirective(WFD)pavingthewayforaresourceefficientEurope

TheEUinstitutionsfinallyreachedanagreementin�008

ontherevisedWasteFrameworkDirective(WFD).

TheWFDprovidesaframeworktodrivewaste

managementpracticesintheEU.Therevisionwasbadly

neededtobringlegalclarityinanumberofimportant

areas.InsummarytherevisedWFDprovidesastrongdrive

forresourceefficiencyanddiversionofwastefromlandfill.

Underpinningthisistherecognitionofthe5stepwaste

hierarchyasapriorityordertobeappliedflexiblyusinglife

cyclethinkingtoalloweachwastestreamtobehandled

inthebestenvironmentalway,consideringeconomic

viabilityandtechnicalfeasibility.

Thehierarchyforimprovingresourceefficiencyis

(indescendingpriorityorder): •reduce

•reuse

•recycle

•recover

•disposal

Thelogicunderpinningthehierarchyisthatthemost

resource-efficientapproachisnottogeneratethewaste

inthefirstplaceortocreateaslittleaspossible.

Thenextbestoptionisreusei.e.usinganarticleover-and-

overagain,likeabeveragecrateoramulti-useshopping

bag.Ifreuseisnotfeasiblethenproductsshouldbe

recycled,providedthatthisismoreeco-efficientfrom

alifecycleperspectivethanrecovery.Thelastresortis

disposalwhichshouldbeminimised.

ThenewWFDdefinesrecyclingbroadly,whichwillstimulate

furtherdevelopmentofinnovativerecyclingsolutions,

expandingfromtraditionalmechanicalrecyclingto

encompassrecyclingofplastics’chemicalbuildingblocks

foruseasarawmaterial.Thisoffersaninnovationupside

fortheEuropeanrecyclingindustrytoexplorenewwaysof

usingresourcesmoreefficientlythanrecoveryorlandfill.

Extremelydemandingrecyclingtargetshavealsobeenset

forhouseholdanddemolitionwaste,whichwillrequire

toughmeasuresinmanyMemberStatesbutwillalsoact

asadrivertominimisewastetolandfill.

Alandmarkchangeisthatefficientenergy-from-wastewill

nowbeclassifiedasrecoveryratherthandisposal,and

asitisonestepabovelandfillitwillcreatestrongdrivers

insociety.Aclimatecorrectionfactorwillbedefinedto

ensurethatcountrieswithwarmerclimateswillstillhave

agoodopportunitytomeettheenergyefficiencycriteria.

Broadly-speakingtherevisedWFDwillprovidea

frameworkwhichwillenableimprovedrecyclingofplastics

–bothmechanicalandfeedstock-viainnovative,

eco-efficienttechnologies.High-calorificwasteplastics

willbeimportanttohelpenergy-from-wasteplantsmeet

theefficiencycriteriasetforclassificationasrecovery.

Innovativenewplastics-enabledsolutionswillsave

resourcesthroughapplicationssuchaspackaging,bothby

reducingwasteandbylight-weightingthepackagingitself.

Plasticsareresource-efficientmaterialsandwillplayakey

roleindrivingaresource-efficientEurope.

��

Reduce

PlasticssaveenergyandCO�emissionsduringtheuse

phase.Ifweweretosubstituteallplasticsinallapplications

withtheprevailingmixofalternativematerials,andlook

fromalifecycleperspective,then��.4millionadditional

tonnesofcrudeoilwouldberequiredeveryyear.

Thecorrespondinggreenhousegasemissionsareequivalent

to�0%oftheEU�5Kyototargetfor�000-�0��.

Plasticscontributetowasteminimisationbyofferingmore

andmoreresource-effectivesolutions,includinglower

energyconsumptionduringproduction,areductionin

theplasticsmaterialneededtodoaparticularjoband

lesswasteofthepackagedgoods,whetheritisfoodor

wateroracomputer.Examplesincludeever-lighterbottles

forwater,softdrinksordetergentsorthinnerfilmfor

packaging.

Reuse

Plasticsarereusedinanumberofareas.Plasticssoft

drinkbottlesarereusedindepositsystemsinanumber

ofMemberStates,manyofusreusethecarrierbagfora

varietyofneeds,andplasticstraysusedinsupermarkets

offeraclean,robustandcost-effectivewayofmoving

vegetables,breadorfishfromproducertocustomer.

Recycle

Therecyclingofplasticsisincreasingyearbyyear.

Inadditiontothewellknownapplicationssuchas

bottlesandindustrialpackagingfilm,newimportant

developmentsareongoing,liketheRecovinylinitiative

undertheVinyl�0�0programmeofthePVCindustry

(coveringpipes,windowframes,roofingmembranes,

andflooring).

AnotherstreamwhichisexploredinannumberofMember

Statesisthe“mixedpackagingplastics”

Thisimportantdevelopmentmustcontinueandwe

mustdrivetowardsrealisingthefullpotentialofexisting

recyclingstreamsaswellasopeningupneweco-efficient

streamsforrecycling.

Recover

Howeverevenafterincludingthesegrowingapplications

therewillberesidualstreamswhicharenotappropriate

tomechanicallyrecycleinaneco-efficientway:

Forthesestreamsplasticsofferanadditionalrecovery

option–energyrecovery.Aslongasweusefossilfuels

forenergyproduction,plasticswillofferanadditional

valuetosocietyasplasticsenablemanyvitalapplications

duringthelifecycleofthesehydrocarbonmoleculeson

theirjourneyfromoilwelltoenergysource.

Landfillordisposalmustbeminimisedasitwastesa

valuableresourceandcontributestogreenhousegas

formation.

Plasticscontributeinmanywaystosustainableuseofresources

The vision of the 4 partners for a forward-looking resource management approach:

•Minimisedisposalofplasticswastetolandfill

•Useamixofrecoveryoptionsforthebestenvironmentalandeconomicresult ineverysituation

•Treatmentandrecoveryofwasteshouldmeetthedefinedenvironmentalstandards

•Overalllifecycleimpactshouldbetakenintoaccount

��

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Biobased&BiodegradablePlastics:“Bioplastics”

Bioplasticsarewelcomedasnewmembersoftheplastics

family,addingnewfeaturestothediversespectrumof

plasticsmaterials.

Unfortunatelythetwoaspectsofbioplastics–the

functionalpropertyofdegradationandtheoriginofthe

feedstockforproduction–areoftenmixed-up.

Degradableplasticsprovideafunctionalpropertywhichis

requiredforcertainapplicationssuchascompostbags,

mulchfilmforagriculturalapplications,andpackaging

forcateringandforsurgery(tomentionjustafew).

Howevertheuseofdegradableplasticsmustbecarefully

evaluatedinordertoensurethat,forexample,theydonot

contaminaterecyclingloopssuchasthebottlestream.

Plasticscanbemadefromanyfeedstockcontaining

carbonandhydrogen.Currentlyfossilfuelsarethe

preferredfeedstockbutalreadytodayplasticsaremade

fromrenewableresourcessuchassugarandcorn.Plastics

productionusesonly4%ofalloilandgas.Longbefore

ourreservesoffossilfeedstockhaverunout,the

tighteningsupply-demandbalancewillleadtohigher

priceswhichwillmovemajorfossilfuelusers,like

transportandheating,toalternativesources.Increasingly

inthefuture,complementaryfeedstocktofossil–like

biomassorothercarbonsources-willbeusedtosecure

undisruptedsuppliesofplasticstosociety.

Bio-basedplasticstodayhaveashareoflessthan�%of

thetotalplasticsmarketbuthaveexpectedhighgrowthrates.

Anapplicationforplasticswhichhasbeenparticularlyin

focusinthebioplasticsdebateisthecarrierbag.

Inthepublicdebatetheplasticbaghasbeenthevictimof

irresponsiblelitterbehaviourinsociety,whichhas

unfairlydamagedthereputationofthishighlysustainable

optionforcarryingourshoppingbackhome.Inseveral

LCAstudiestheplasticcarrierbag,andparticularlythe

thick,multiusebag–“theBagforLife”-comesoutasthe

mostenvironmentally-friendlyoption.

Thisdebateisanexampleofthemisunderstandingaround

theterm“biodegradability”.Biodegradability-aswithany

otherformofenhanceddegradationofplastics-doesnot

resolvethelitterissue,asthisprocesscantake�8months

ormoredependingontheconditionsofthe(industrial)

compostingfacility.

All-in-allthedebateonbiobasedand/orbiodegradable

plasticshasbecomemorefactualin�007.Stakeholders

areincreasinglyawareofthemultitudeofconsiderations

thathavetobemadetocorrectlypositionaproduct.

��

Figure7illustratestheflowofplasticsfromconversionto

theend-of-lifephase.ThedataisvalidforEU�7+Norway

andSwitzerland.

Theconvertersused5�.5milliontonnesofplasticsin

�007,up�%on�006.Ofallplasticsusedbyconsumers,

�4.6milliontonnesendedupaspost-consumerwaste,

upfrom��.7milliontonnesin�006.

50%ofthepost-consumerusedplasticwasrecoveredand

50%wenttodisposal.Ofthequantityrecovered,5million

tonneswererecycled–asmaterialandfeedstock–and

7.�milliontonneswererecoveredasenergy.

Theoverallmaterialrecyclingrateofpost-consumer

plasticsin�007was�0.4%,withmechanicalrecyclingat

�0.�%(up�.�%pointsfrom�006)andfeedstockrecycling

at0.�%(down0.�%pointsfrom�006).

Theenergyrecoveryrateremainedstableat�9.�%

reflectinghowthesensitivityandplanningcomplexityof

thisresourcemanagementtechnologyhasledtoslow

progressinsociety.

In�007,��.4milliontonnesofplasticswerewastedin

landfill.

Plasticssupplychainfromcradletocradle

Figure7.Plasticfromcradletocradle(EU�5+NO/CH�007)

�4

�5

Plasticscontinuetodecouplegrowthindemandandmaterialtolandfill

Despitea�%/yeargrowthoverthepastdecadeforpost-

consumerwastethequantitygoingtolandfillhasremained

stable.Figure8showsthehistoryforEU�5+NO/CHupto

�004andforEU�7+NO/CHfrom�005.Thegrowthof

post-consumerplasticwasteistheresultofseveraldrivers.

Plasticscontinuetosubstitutealternativematerials,

economicgrowthdrivesgreaterconsumption,smaller

householdsrequiremorepackagingperpersonandmore

ready-madesingle-portionmealsareconsumed.

Figure9outlinesthegrowthofbothmechanicalrecycling

andenergyrecovery.Overthelastdecadetheaverage

annualgrowthratehasbeenabout�0%.Mechanical

recyclingquantitysawanothergoodincreaseof��%in�007

whichisexplainedbyhigherplasticpricesandimproved

collectionandsortingtechnology.

Growthinenergyrecoveryquantityslowedto�%asvery

littlecapacitywasaddedin�007.

Moreinvestmentinenergyrecoveryfacilitiesisneededto

divertstreamswhichcannotbeeco-efficientlyrecycledfrom

landfill.

Figure9.Strongcontinuedgrowthofrecyclingandenergyrecovery

x 1.

000

tonn

esx

1.00

0 to

nnes

Figure8.Continueddecouplingofplasticwasteandlandfill

Energyrecovery

Mechanicalrecycling

Feedstockrecycling

Totalpost-usewaste

Disposal

�6

Slowprogresstowardsdiversionfromlandfill

Figure�0.Recyclingandenergyrecoveryratepercountry Recyclingrate�007 EnergyRecoveryrate�007

Thematerialrecyclingandenergyrecoveryofpost-consumer

plasticswastevariessignificantlybycountry.Insome

countrieslikeSwitzerland,Germany,SwedenandDenmark

thereisverylittlelandfill–thesecountriesarevery

closetocompletingtheirdiversion-from-landfillstrategy.

ArecentstudybytheSwissconsultancyPrognos(�)showed

that�7%oftheEUKyototargetforgreenhousegas(GHG)

emissionscouldbesavedifallwastecurrentlygoingto

landfillwastobedivertedflexiblytorecyclingandenergy

recovery.

Thebestresultswereachievedwithoutspecifictargetsbut

withfullflexibilitytoexplorerecyclingandenergyrecovery

whereitbestservedthespecificwastestream.

InadditiontosavingGHGemissions,diversionfrom

landfillcontributestoincreasedresourceefficiencyand

energysecuritywhilereducinglittering.

OneimportantobservationfromFigure�0isthatcountries

withhighrecoveryratesdowellonbothrecyclingand

energyrecovery.Wecanthereforeconfidentlystatethata

strategyincludingenergyrecoveryisnotcontradictoryto

achievinggoodrecyclingresults.Itsimplyillustratesthat

acompleteresourcemanagementstrategyneedsto

addressboth,asnocountrywillbeabletorecycleall

post-consumerwaste.

Theotherobservationthatcanbedrawnisthatwhilst

recyclingperformanceisfairlysimilaracrossmostofthe

EU�7+NO/CHcountriestherearehugedifferencesinthe

utilisationofenergyrecovery.Countrieswhichhavehigh

dependenceonlandfillmustnotonlyexploittheirfull

recyclingpotentialbutrapidlyexpandtheirenergy-from-

wastenetwork.

Theprogressofthediversionfromlandfillisslowon

averagewithrecycling(mechanical+feedstock)across

EU�7+NO/CHincreasingfrom�9.5%in�006to�0.4%in

�007whileenergyrecoveryremainedstableat�9.�%.

StrongeffortswillberequiredinmanyMemberStates

tocapturethefullpotentialofferedbyadiversionfrom

landfillstrategy,namelyGHGemissionsavings,enhanced

resourceefficiencyandenergysecurityandtheavoiding

oflandfillpenalties.

(�)http://www.prognos.com/Singleview.�06+M5c8�8d79ff6.0.html�6

�7

Trendsinrecycling

Thereportingofrecyclingperformanceinthisreportisdone

onaMemberStatelevel.Itreflectstheamountofmaterial

collectedforrecycling,whetherthismateriallatercrosses

borderswithintheEU,issentoverseastocountriessuchas

ChinaorIndia,orstaysinitscountryoforigin.

WithinEuropethereismuchcross-bordermovementof

materialforrecycling,whichreflectsthetradewithintheEU.

Forexampletheproportionofimportedwastetreatedby

recyclersinSwitzerland,BelgiumandtheNetherlands

isintherangeof�5-45%.

Exportofpost-consumerplasticwastefromEU�7+NO/CH

continuedtoincreasetoanestimatedtotalof0.65million

tonnesin�007(up�0%over�006).Thisrepresents��%

ofallwastecollectedforrecycling–whichiscomparable

toothermaterials.Ensuringthatrecyclingofexported

wastetakesplaceincertifiedandauthorisedfacilitiesisof

theutmostimportanceforthecredibilityoftheEUaswell

asforconsumerconfidence.

Thecollectionrateformechanicalrecyclingofpost-

consumerplasticswasteincreased��%over�006to

�0.�%in�007.Thisrepresentsanincreaseof0.5million

tonnes,givinganEU�7+NO/CHtotalof4.9milliontonnes.

Thisincreaseisfuelledbyhigherpolymerpricesand

improvedcollectionandsortingtechnology.Therecycling

capacityoftheEuropeanrecyclingindustryisestimated

tobestillhighertoenableallcollectedmaterialtobe

treatedinEurope.

Abigpartofthisincreasewasachievedthroughtheincrease

inpackagingstreamssuchasPETbottles,industrialpackaging

filmandPVCproductsviatheprogrammeVinyl�0�0.

Asthereisstillthepotentialtocollectmorefromthese

streamsacrossMemberStates,itisimportanttocontinue

effortstodrivethesestreamstowardstheirfullpotential.

Cratesandpalletsaretwostreamswhererecyclingiswell

above90%.Thissuccessful“closedloop”isthreatened

bychangesintheEUlegislationlinkedtotheheavy

metalcontentoftheseproducts.Withoutthederogation

extensiontocontinuetorecycleandkeeptheheavymetals

safelyintheplasticahugequantityofrecyclableplastics

couldbeobsolete.Industryisworkingtowardsacontrolled

schemetomonitortherenewalofthederogation.

InadditioncountriesliketheUKareseekingincreased

recyclingfromthemixedplasticsstream(i.e.thehousehold

plasticsstreamexcludingbottles).Theplasticsindustry

isengagedinthisinitiativeandsupportsextendedeco-

efficientrecycling.Howeverinfrastructureanddemography

variesacrossMemberStates,andthereforesolutionswill

notbethesameindifferentcountries.ForexampleAustria

andtheNetherlandshavetakentheoppositedecision

totheUKanddecidednottocollectmixedplasticsbut

insteadtorecoverthisstreamthroughenergyrecovery.

Plastic bottles are suitable for recyclingApackagingapplicationwithagoodrecyclingtrackrecord

istheplasticbottle.SuchbottlescanbemadeofPET,PE,

PPorPVC.4�%ofallusedPETbottleswerecollectedfor

recyclingin�007.Thisamountsto�.�milliontonnes/year.

TheEU�7+NO/CHcountriesdemonstratehugevariations,

frombelow�0%forsomecountriestonearly70%for

countriessuchasAustriaorBelgiumbasedonnodeposit

system.Incountrieswithdepositsystemsrecyclingrates

ofover90%arebeingachieved.Iftheperformanceof

e.g.Belgiumcouldbematched,thenthepotentialexists

toincreaserecyclingbyabout�milliontonnes/yacross

EU�7+NorwayandSwitzerland.ThesysteminBelgiumis

basedonco-collectionofbottles,metalcontainersanddrink

cartons.Bottlesareseparatedoutinsortingplants.

Recyclersthenreprocesstheseparatedplastics.Asthe

quantityofrecycledbottlesincreases,thetraditionalmarkets

forreprocessedmaterial,fibreandstrapping,become

saturated.Workisunderwayinanumberofcountriesto

closethebottleloopi.e.tousethereprocessedPETand

HDPEfornewbottlesandalsoforfoodapplications.

Thisbottle-to-bottlerecyclingwillopenupabigmarketfor

recyclatesiftherequirementsfore.g.foodapprovalcanbe

met.EFSA–theEuropeanFoodSafetyAgency-haspublished

guidelinesforapplicantsforthesafetyevaluationofrecycled

plasticstobeusedincontactwithfood.ThenewEuropean

regulationonplastics(EC�8�/�008)requiresthatrecycled

plasticsusedincontactwithfoodshouldonlybeobtained

fromprocesseswhichhavebeenassessedforsafetybyEFSA.

�8

In�007thevolumeofpost-consumerPVCwastebeing

recycledacrossEurope,mainlythroughtheRecovinyl

systemaspartoftheindustryVinyl�0�0voluntary

commitment,reached�49,500tonnes.Thisrepresents

an80%increaseon�006levels,when8�,000tonnes

wererecycledandcontinuesthestronggrowthinPVC

recyclingseenintheprevioustwoyearswhichsawthe

volumeofVinyl�0�0sponsoredrecyclingdoublingeach

year.TheVinyl�0�0targetfor�0�0isfortherecyclingof

�00,000tonnesofpost-consumerPVCwaste(inaddition

toregulatedwastestreamsandtothevolumesrecycledin

�000).Therearenowcollectionandrecyclingsystemsfor

PVCproductsinmanyEuropeancountries.

SincemanyPVCapplicationslikewindowframesandpipes

arelong-lifeproductsthatcanlastformanydecadesthe

quantityofend-of-lifematerialiscurrentlylimited.Larger

quantitiesofwastematerialarethereforeonlyexpectedin

thefuture.Nevertheless,adequaterecyclingcapacitiesare

alreadybeingprovidedfor.

Inprofessionalrecyclingallplasticwindows,including

fittingsandglass,arepre-crushedinashredder.Bymeans

ofspecialseparatorsallmetalcomponentsandglassare

excludedfromthematerialflow.SubsequentlyallPVC,

whichatfirstexistsascoarsegrindingstockof�5-�5

millimetresindiameter,ishackledtofinegrainsizeina

cuttingmill.

Additionalseparation–andprocessing–stepsforquality

improvementfollowinline.

RecyclingofPVCreaches�50,000tonnesayear

�8

�9

PackagingRecyclingBeyondtheBottle

TheplasticbottleissuccessfullyrecycledinmostEU

MemberStates.Tofurtherimprovepackagingrecycling

ratesweneedto

• continuetocapturethefullpotentialofthebottle

• exploreothercontentofthepackagingstream

CountrieslikeAustria,Italy,Germany,NorwayandSpain

alreadycollect–inadditiontothebottle–rigidpackaging

suchastrays,tubsandpotsplussomefilm.

Improvementsinsortingandwashingtechnologies,

emergingmarketsforrecyclateandpotentialbusiness

opportunitiesdriveMemberStatestoexplorethisstream

-oftenreferredtoas“MixedPlastics”.

AnEPROworkinggroupisfocussingonMixedPlasticsby

studyingexistingsystemsandcarryingoutindustrialtests

toassessfeasibility,costeffectivenessandenvironmental

benefitsofthedifferentend-of-lifeoptions.IntheUK

WRAP-theWasteResourceActionProgramme–has

runaninitialstudyandisnowtakingthistofullscale

validation.

ThelearningfromexploringtherecyclingofMixedPlastics

isthat:

• Inputneedstobesortedtohighlevelofpurityper

plastictype

• Recyclateneedstoreplacevirginpolymerinthenext

application

• Welldefinedendmarketsforeachrecyclatestreamneed

tobedeveloped

• Onlypartoftheinputstreamcanbeturnedinto

recyclatewiththebalancebetterusedforenergy

recovery.Percentagesdependonqualityandconsistency

ofinputstream

Additionallearningwillbecomeavailableoverthenextfew

yearsasMemberStatesexplorethisrecyclingopportunity.

Focus on Italy

Corepla-theNationalConsortiumfortheCollection,

RecoveryandRecyclingofPlasticPackagingWaste-

hasbeensetuptoguaranteerecyclingandrecoveryof

packagingwaste.

In�00�householdcollectioninItalywasenlargedfrom

bottles-onlytoallplasticpackagingwaste.

SincethenCoreplahascreatedvalueforbottlesandfilm

withtheresultthatintheyear�007ofmorethan�00.000

tonnesofbottlesandaround50.000tonnesoffilmwere

soldthroughweb-basedauctionswitharevenueofmore

thand40million.

In�007mixedplasticspackagingrepresentedmorethan

�5%ofthewholehouseholdcollectionwith40%being

recycledandtherestusedforenergyrecovery.

Coreplaisfocusedoncreatingevenmorevalueformixed

plasticsfractionsthroughautomaticsorting(forincreased

efficiency)andanalysisofend-usemarketsinordertofind

high-valueapplications.

�0

In�007,7.�milliontonnesor�9.�%ofthepost-consumer

plasticswastewasrecoveredasenergyinEU�7+Norway

andSwitzerland,unchangedinpercentagetermsfrom�006.

Municipalincineratorsremainthemostcommontechnology

forenergyrecovery.NineoftheEU�7+NO/CHcountries

use58-8�%oftheirpost-consumerwasteinenergy

recoveryplants.Franceuses�8%whileothercountries

have�0%orlessoftheirpost-consumerwasterecovered

inenergyrecoveryplants.Thisincludesnotonlynew

MemberStatesbutalsocountriessuchasFinland,Greece,

Ireland,SpainandtheUK.

Thereisgrowingrecognitionine.g.IrelandandtheUKthat

theenergyrecoverycapacityshouldbeincreased,butthe

planningprocessiscomplexandprotractedandplanning

permissionisfrequentlycontestedbyNGOsandlocal

interestgroups.

Anadditionalformofenergy-from-wasteistheproduction

ofsolidrecoveredfuel(SRF)throughconcentratinghigh

calorificwasteandconvertingitintoafuelwithadefined

specificationagreedbetweenuserandproducer.Theuse

ofsuchsolidrecoveredfuelsisexpectedtogrowafterthe

introductionofEuropeanCENstandardsfortheproduction

andtradeofthistypeoffuel.Thiskindof“concentrated”

highcalorificfuelhasahugepotentialinpartlyreplacing

otherfuelsforco-combustionincementkilns,papermills

andcombinedheatandpowerplants(includingdistrict

heating).SignificantSRFcapacityisbeingbuiltinGermany

andprogressedinothercountries.Ineos-aplastics

producer-hasrecentlyobtainedplanningpermissionfor

anSRF-fuelledpowerplantintheUKandaFinnishpower

companyisbuildinganewSRF-fedpowerstation.

Recentstudieshavedocumentedthattherearesignificant

positivesynergyeffectsfromco-firingsolidrecoveredfuel

(SRF)withbiomass:SRFadditionallowsearlierignition

(partlybecausebiomassalwayshasacertainwater

content,whileSRFdoesnot),whichinturnassuresfaster

andmoreefficientincineration,bettercombustionstability

andhigherboileroutput.

AsSRFisoftenlocallyavailable,andatalowcost,co-firing

SRFandbiomassisalsoafinanciallyattractiveoption.

Spittelauisacombinedheatandpowerincineratorlocated

inthecityCentreofVienna,only�kmfromtheStStephen

Cathedral.Theplantwasdevelopedinthelate�980s

intoastrikingdesignbyFriedensreichHundertwasser.

Theplanthasacapacityof60.000tonnes/yearand

produces66MW,withanefficiencyupto86%.

Ofthetotaloutput60MWgoestoheatingtheVienna

districtheatingsystemand6MWisgeneratedaspower

fortheViennagrid.Plasticsmakeuparound�0%byweight

ofthefeedbutasmuchas50%ofthecalorificcontent

thankstotheirhighspecificcalorificvalue.Whentheflue

gasleavesthe��8mhighchimneyithaspassedthrough

oneofthemosteffectivecleaningprocesses,ensuring

fullcompliancewiththeWasteIncinerationDirective.

Inapublicpollsomeyearsafterstart-up�%wereagainst

wasteincinerationand8�%werepositivetowaste

incinerationanddistrictheating.Themagicrecipeof

investinginacomprehensiveeducationalcampaign,

securingthehighesttechnicalstandardsandchoosing

anoutstandingdesigncansurelybecopiedelsewhere.

Trendsinenergyrecovery

��

PlasticProducts,ApplicationsandGoods–enablersofinnovationinsociety

Transport

Inadditiontotheenergysavingsenabledbyplasticsin

cars,aircraftsandtrucks,plasticsfacilitateinnovation

inavarietyofways.

Aestheticdesignismadepossiblebytheinherent

capabilityofplasticstobedesigned,colouredand

producedinanyshapeandform.

Cheapersolutions–leadingtomoreaffordablecars-are

enabledbyplasticscomponentsallowingtheintegration

intoonepieceofwhathadpreviouslybeenseveral

partsmadefromtraditionalmaterialsandrequiringan

additionaljoining-togetherstep.Exteriorpanelsableto

takesmallimpactswillsavemoneyandtroubletothe

carowneraslittleornorepairwillbeneeded.

Sports and leisure

TherecentOlympicgamesinBeijinggavenumerous

exampleshowplasticsenhanceperformance–inalegal

way–invastlydifferentsportsandmakeitmoreenjoyable

tothecompetitorwhetheritisatopathleteoracasual

exerciser.Perhapsthebestexampleisthenewswimming

suitswhichenabledcompetitorstobreaknumerous

records.Thankstoapolyurethanesuitcoveredinan

entirelyseamlessengineeredfabric,wherethedifferent

panelsareultra-sonicallyweldedtogether,athleteswere

providedwitha5%betteroxygenintakecapabilityanda

4%increaseinspeed.

Sportsshoesaremadelighterandlighter,whilstoffering

betterstabilityandrobustnessthankstobetterandbetter

foamandsupportingstructuresmadefromplastics–and

whatwassolelyforthetopathletesintheOlympicswill

soonbeinthemassmarkettobeenjoyedbytherestofus.

Intelligent textiles

Intelligenttextileswilltransformthewaywework,live,

travelandcareforourbodiesandplanet

Cuddlysoftbabypyjamasthatmonitorvitalsignsand

soundanalarmifthechildareindangerinitssleep.

Therapiddevelopmentofso-calledintelligentortechnical

textilesconstitutesarevolutionbothforthetextile

industryitselfandforsectorsrangingfromtransport,

constructionandworkplacesafetytoagriculture,health,

consumerelectronicsand–ofcourse–fashion.

Alsoknownassmartfabrics,thesematerialsgenerally

consistofpolymer-basedfabricsdesignedtoperformvery

sophisticatedfunctionsandusuallyincorporatehigh-tech

elements,frombiochemicalstophotovoltaiccells,intothe

fabricitself.

Inhealthcarewehaveforsometimeusedintelligentfibres

tomakethelittletubesthatpropopenblockedarteriesin

coronarybypasssurgeryortoreinforcetornligaments.

��

Packaging

Thepackagingapplicationhasthelongesthistoryof

recoveryandcontributesabout6�%ofend-of-life

quantity.Notsurprisinglythemajorpartofwhatistoday

recycledthereforecomesfrompackaging.

Streamsofbottlesandindustrialfilmarebeing

mechanicallyrecycledto~40%acrossEU�7+NO/CH.

Cratesandboxesarerecycledatwellover90%.

Recyclingratesfortheremainingmixedplasticsarestill

low–below�0%acrossEU�7+NO/CH.

Intotalthecollectionforrecyclingofpost-consumer

packaginggrewin�007toanaverageof�8%,upfrom

�6.�%in�006.

Fig��showsthemapoverEuropewithEU�7+NO/CH

countriesbelow�5%(currentrequirement),below��.5%

(requirementfrom�008)andthoseabove��.5%.

Agricultural films

Agriculturalplasticswastesuchassilagefilmisagood

sourceformechanicalrecyclingasitismadefromalimited

rangeofplastics,mostlypolyolefins.Howeveroftenhigh

levelsofcontaminationbysoilposeatechnicaland

financialchallengetoeco-efficientrecyclingorrecovery.

EuPCandEuPRareengagedintheLabelAgriWasteproject

–anEUco-fundedproject–aimingatdevelopingan

integratedapproachtowardsthecollection,samplingand

labelingofagriculturalplasticwaste.Progressisexpected

fromthisprojectoverthenextyear.

Automotive

Therecyclingrateforautomotiveplasticswastecontinued

toincreasetojustunder�0%in�007.Volkswagenwonan

environmentalawardfortheirSiConprocess-amechanical

processtoextractusablesecondaryrawmaterialsfrom

theresiduesofvehiclesshreddedattheendoftheiruseful

lives.Plantsusingthistypeoftechnologyarebeingbuilt

andstartingupintheNetherlandsandinAustria.

Electrical & electronic

Recyclingintheelectricalandelectronicsectorislimited

bycomplexproductswithmaterialsintermingledinaway

whichmakessortinganintensiveandexpensiveactivity.

AnexampleofgrowingrecyclingintheE&Esectorisof

theinnerlinerofarefrigerator.Forthemajorityofwaste

streams,thermaltreatmentviafeedstockrecyclingor

energyrecoveryisthemostappropriateprocedure.

Thereisalsosomeuncertaintyabouttheactualvolumes

ofdiscardedE&Eequipment.Itcanbeassumedthatsome

isexportedoutsideEurope.

Construction

Plasticsusedinconstructionareforlong-termuseand

hencedonotgenerateasmuchwaste.Nevertheless

increasedrecyclingisbeingachievedine.g.window

profilesandpipesof��%in�007.

Recoverytrendsbyapplication

Figure��.Totalrecyclingofplasticpackagingwastebycountry

<�5%

�5-<��,5%

>=��,5%

notincluded

Whoarewe?

TheEuropeanplasticsindustrymakesasignificant

contributiontothewelfareinEuropebyenabling

innovation,creatingqualityoflifetocitizensandfacilitating

resourceefficiencyandclimateprotection.Morethan

�.6millionpeopleareworkinginabout50.000companies

(mainlysmallandmediumsizedcompaniesinthe

convertingsector)tocreateaturnoverinexcessof€�00

billionperyear.

PlasticsEuropeisoneoftheleadingEuropeantrade

associationswithcentresinBrussels,Frankfurt,London,

Madrid,MilanandParis.WearenetworkingwithEuropean

andnationalplasticsassociationsandhavemorethan�00

membercompanies,producingover90%ofallpolymers

acrosstheEU�7MemberStatesplusNorway,Switzerland,

CroatiaandTurkey.

EuPC -theEuropeanPlasticsConverters-istheprofessional

representativebodyofplasticsconverterswithinEurope

whoseactivityembracesallsectorsoftheplasticsconverting

industryincludingrecycling.Theoverallobjectiveisto

defendandpromotetheinterestsoftheEuropeanplastics

convertingindustry

• Voicingtheindustry’sopiniontowardsEuropean

andinternationalinstitutionsandnon-governmental

organisations;

• Maintainingrelationshipswithcorresponding

organisationsinEuropeandworldwide;

• Carryingoutbusinesssurveys,studiesandresearch

projectsinallaspectsoftheplasticsprocessingindustry.

EuPR-theEuropeanPlasticsRecyclers-istheprofessional

representativebodyofplasticsrecyclersinEurope.

EuPRpromotesplasticsmechanicalrecyclingandconditions

thatenableprofitableandsustainablebusiness,while

offeringaserviceplatformtoitsmembers.EuPRmembers

bringtogether85%oftheEuropeanrecyclingcapacity

processingmorethan5milliontonnesofcollectedplastics

peryear.

EPRO -theEuropeanAssociationofPlasticsRecyclingand

RecoveryOrganisations-istheassociationofthenational

organisationschargedwithorganisingandpromoting

recyclingandrecoveryofplasticsthroughoutEurope.

EPROprovidesauniqueforumfortheleadingspecialists

inplasticswastemanagementfromacrossEuropeto

exchangelearning,developintegratedplasticspackaging

wastestrategiesandsupporttechnologicaldevelopment.

��

AvenueE.vanNieuwenhuyse4/�

B-��60Brussels-Belgium

Phone+��(0)�675��97

Fax +��(0)�675�9�5

www.plasticseurope.org

Thematerialcontainedinthispublicationisforinformationonly.PlasticsEurope,astheresponsibleeditorforthispublication,

hascompiledthecontentverycarefully,andtheinformationplacedinthispublicationisofferedinutmostgoodfaithandis

believedtobecorrect.

AvenuedeCortenbergh,66

P.OBox4

�000Brussels,Belgium

Phone+��74�968�

Fax +��7��6��

www.plasticsrecyclers.eu

RueduCommerce��


Phone+��4568449

Fax +��4568��9

www.epro-plasticsrecycling.org

AvenuedeCortenbergh,66

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Phone+��7��4��4

Fax +��7��4��8

www.plasticsconverters.eu

EuropeanPlasticConverters

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