NEWS
PlasticsEurope sets position on ‘mass balance’ claims
PlasticsEurope, the trade body representing the interests of plastics manu- facturers in Europe, has published a position statement covering recycled content and other sustainability claims associ- ated with mass balance. Mass balance refers to
the process of allocating — or attributing — an input material to an end product. It is essential in the develop- ment of chemical recycling, where recovered material inputs and production processes are much more complex than those used in physical or mechanical recycling. However, while the mass balance principle is clear its practical imple- mentation is not currently regulated.
In its new position
statement, PlasticsEurope says: “Names and claims of products with characteristics attributed through a mass-balance approach should be distinct from
those of products in which the physical nature of these characteristics can be ensured through a segre- gated production process [physical or mechanical recycling]. This will avoid creating any confusion or misleading impression as to
the actual physical presence of recycled or bio-based content in the end product.” The position statement goes on to recommend that products or plastics result- ing from the application of a mass-balance approach be distinguished by the use of
terminology such as recycled-attributed, bio- attributed or CCU-attributed (Carbon Capture and Utilisation), while products with physical presence of these characteristics are called recycled, bio-based or CCU-based products.
US EPA holds back on pyrolysis change
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last month it has withdrawn a proposed revision to the definition of municipal waste combustion (MWC) units in the Clean Air Act that would have removed pyrolysis combustion units, potentially simplifying regulatory compli- ance of plastics chemical recycling operations. Since 2005, EPA regulations have
considered pyrolysis/combustion units (comprised of two chamber incinerators with a starved air primary chamber followed by an afterburner) as Other Solid Waste Incineration (OSWI) units under the Clean Air Act. The agency proposed removing the reference in 2020 “as a result of recent market trends, especially with
respect to the increased processing of waste plastics.” The EPA said in its Federal Register
statement that it needs more time and personnel resources to analyse and evaluate the information required to gain a technical and regulatory understanding of the pyrolysis process. “The EPA action had not changed how advanced recycling facilities are stringently regulated at multiple levels and under many laws, including the Clean Air Act,” said Craig Cookson, Senior Director for Plastics Sustainability at the American Chemistry Council. “The ACC will continue to engage the EPA and provide science- backed information on advanced recycling facilities.”
Maag to build more equipment in China
Switzerland’s Maag Group is expanding its presence in China with further localisation of production to its plant at Jiading in Shanghai. The company said it has been producing GA series extrusion
pumps, Baoli strand pelletisers, and Zhuli underwater pelletisers at the plant since 2022. It will now take on production of a version of its M-UMG underwater strand pelletiser adapted to the require- ments of the local market. “’Made in China for China’ is one of the key strategies our company has been focusing on in recent years,” said Ueli Thürig, President of the Maag Group. “More than 90% of the equipment assembled in our Shanghai plant is intended for the Chinese market.” �
https://maag.com
10 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2023
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: MAAG
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