The debate continues as to where mechanical and chemical recycling technologies stand in the recycling industry.
Which of the two technology types is superior? Is chemistry far from market maturity and trying to overtake long-standing mechanical technology? Or can these systems and processes coexist, each with its own Are there any useful features?
The two processes are unhesitatingly complementary and aim to maximize the reuse of secondary materials, especially those produced through material disposal.
If the multi-billion dollar investments announced by brand owners and petrochemical companies last year are a good indicator, a breakthrough solution to the plastic recycling challenge is on the horizon. Actually, there is work to be done. But we do the job.
It seems almost certain that chemical or molecular recycling (pyrolysis and various other techniques) will become a large part of the plastics recycling industry in the near future. The European Union aims to triple the amount of chemically recycled plastic by 2030.
Plastic recycling is now a public issue. Brand owners and governments are working to increase the recyclability of plastics and the percentage of recycled content in plastic packaging.
coexistence case
Mechanical recycling is perhaps the more traditionally accepted method of recycling and has been around for quite some time. Basically, plastic scrap is sent to waste management and recycling companies along with other materials such as metal, paper and cardboard. It is then sorted into bales of a single polymer type, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), from which beverage bottles are made. They are classified as high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP).
These bales are typically chopped into small flakes and washed at another facility. In most cases the plastic is melted and extruded into small pellets. This process does not destroy the polymer structure. However, it may deteriorate to some extent depending on the processing conditions. And that’s where mechanic recycling differs from chemical recycling.
The recycling market continues to face supply shortages and growing demand. Demand stems from voluntary efforts to use more recycled plastic and reduce our reliance on virgin plastic, as well as laws enforcing the same.
To fill this gap, companies are increasingly turning to chemical recycling. When material type, grade, deterioration, or contamination make the mechanical process difficult, a chemical recycling process can step in and turn the scrap back into monomer or recycled material and keep it out of landfills. Over time, as collection rates improve and brands reach their 30% recycled content goal, mechanical recycling will expand into potential demand and some end uses, such as products that come in direct contact with food. limitations can be more difficult to deal with. .
Many industrial players turn to chemical recycling to solve the problem of mixed plastic scrap that is difficult to recycle. Chemical recycling turns plastic scrap back into monomers such as hydrocarbons, styrene, ethylene, propylene and glycols, or into chemical feedstocks such as naphtha. The range of processes used is called pyrolysis.
The most valuable aspect of chemical recycling, compared to mechanical recycling, is the ability to transform plastics into the applications you want to use them for. The recycled materials produced are incorporated into chemical and plastic production to partially replace fossil raw materials.
Use widely used flexible packaging that is difficult to recycle. Chemical recycling has the potential to recycle used flexible plastic packaging materials and mixed, degraded or contaminated PE and PP based plastic scraps that are difficult to recycle today. Meets European regulations.
Some end-use applications present mechanical recycling issues. The demand for these end uses is not matched by the large supply from the mechanical recycling market. Therefore, some end uses, or things that can be made using recycled plastics, are entirely dependent on the quality of recycled materials and legislation.
Due to contamination and difficulty in sorting mixed plastic scrap, many plastics are not of sufficient quality for these uses by mechanical recycling methods. As such, it gets a lot of supply from textile applications, construction pipes, industrial applications, or mechanical recycling to end uses where final appearance is not the primary concern. This large supply may need to change in order for the market to improve and to meet its goals regarding the use of recycled plastics.
The majority of recycled plastics from mechanical recycling are still striving to remain of high enough quality for use in the most demanding applications such as food contact applications and consumer packaging. .
Growing Solutions for Plastic Recycling
There is currently a mismatch between the core demand for recycled plastics and the availability and quality of supply. To understand how and why demand is changing, just look at the number of voluntary initiatives in various industries to use recycled plastics and the growing number of laws.
Proposed solutions in chemical recycling rely on the ability to produce higher quality products as scrap is turned back into original materials, monomers or feedstocks, into re-used naphtha-type products. increase. Recycled components have the same chemical structure as virgin-based polymers.
Even for chemical recycling, it is important to ensure a clean and uncontaminated raw material or material flow. However, some technologies and processes are more flexible than others in that they accept a wider range of scrap inputs.
The challenge is to build a large and sophisticated recycling plant that produces high quality recycled materials.
Although commercial volumes are limited, the number of press releases from major petrochemical market leaders and new entrants announcing plans to build plants suggests that a significant increase in supply is only five or ten years away. It suggests that there is a possibility that
UK-based Greenback Recycling Technologies plans to drive innovation to power the circular economy and create a greener future for all. The plants we are building are scalable, agile and can be quickly established with modular units installed in landfills or wherever scrap is generated or present. This will allow for a more streamlined collection process, create jobs around the region, and increase economic productivity in developing countries.
It also helps you avoid highly inefficient scrap transport, improves your footprint, and helps ensure that all material collected is post-consumer scrap. Using pioneering blockchain technology, we store data about the materials we process in an open and secure way, so their provenance can be verified at every level of the supply chain. This makes it easy for brands to see the recycled content of every package by digitally tracking the journey of scrap back into packaging.
Sustaining the growth of a circular economy is challenging, but it presents a wealth of opportunities for retailers, processors and manufacturers using plastic packaging. It fosters continuous innovation, and chemical recycling proves that these innovations open up new revenue streams and increased profitability for everyone in the plastics industry.
We are very determined to establish a decentralized network of collection and recycling plants close to the sources of used plastic scrap around the world. ensures a fair distribution of value to all parties involved in
This is especially important as the recycling market begins to separate from its virgin counterparts. The recycled market is now priced higher than the virgin market.
Economic efficiency will be a major factor in determining the success of these innovative technologies. The existing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model must be redefined to integrate this new reality and facilitate vertical integration of various stakeholders. Achieving tomorrow’s plastic recycling goals, whether mechanical, advanced or chemical, could mean the end of the cheap plastic era.
As we anticipate further advances in plastic manufacturing and recycling, we need to recognize that mechanical recycling alone cannot solve the problem. Now may be the time to better understand plastic-to-plastic chemical recycling. In our journey towards a more sustainable future for plastics, we need to adopt a holistic approach to understand the functions it may play.
The author is CEO and founder of UK-based Greenback Recycling Technologies. The company’s Chief Revenue Officer will participate in a panel discussion at the 2022 Paper and Plastic Recycling Congress Europe event in Rotterdam in mid-November.
