MATERIALS | PVC RECYCLING
Right: Recycling of PVC in Europe fell more than 9% in 2023, to around 738,000 tonnes, says VinylPlus
competitive prices of virgin material, including imports; a downturn in building and construction; and the impact of European regulations on legacy additives. Recycling and converting also declined across
Europe, for both pre-consumer recycling – where lower production reduced the amount of waste available – and post-consumer recycling, due to a decline in the construction industry. The flooring and pipes sectors registered the largest decline, especially in pre-consumer waste recycling. Demand for recycled PVC (rPVC ) fell more than 12% compared to previous year, said VinylPlus. Registered uptake of rPVC from converters was around 470,000 tonnes in 2023, a 16% fall. “High inflation impacted the construction sector,
putting recyclers in difficulty and reducing demand for recyclates in the EU,” said Karl-Martin Schellerer, chairman of VinylPlus. “In addition, the recycling system continues to be under scrutiny from regulators.”
Legacy additives VinylPlus is also working towards solving the challenge of so-called legacy additives— additives contained in end-of-life PVC products that are now restricted by regulation in the EU. PVC uses a range of additives, and formulations have changed over the years as environmental and health concerns were raised for certain chemicals. In Europe, one of the legacy additives in PVC is lead-based stabilis- ers that may be found in PVC products manufac- tured prior to 2015 (when the European PVC industry completed phasing them out). The potential presence of lead in recycled PVC has been a subject of discussion, and while lead and its compounds are restricted under Reach, certain exemptions regarding application and amount currently allow for continued recycling. Some orthophthalate plasticisers used in flexible
Above: Schellerer: “The [European] recycling system
continues to be under scrutiny from regulators”
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PVC have been restricted in the EU because of their classification (as Repr. 1B, toxic to reproduction). In November 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) completed an investigation into 63 PVC additives and PVC resin, as requested by the European Commission. Although the analysis found that risks from PVC resin to workers and the environment are adequately controlled, ECHA suggested that regulatory action would be needed for technologies to minimise PVC microparticle emissions at recycling facilities and landfills. ECHA also suggested that regulatory action would be needed for certain orthophthalate plasticisers, certain heat-stabilising organotins, and to reduce emissions of flame retardants. The investigation will
PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | Autumn 2024
next be assessed by the Commission to decide whether ECHA will prepare a Reach restriction proposal. VinylPlus, which had submitted evidence to ECHA during the investigation, questioned these conclusions, but said it was committed to providing information as needed.
PCR collection In the US, legacy additives are not the same concern as in Europe; challenges for PVC recycling here are about facilitating collection and reuse. A 2022 survey of PVC recyclers in the US and
Canada found that the amount of recycled PVC has increased by 17%, to 1.3bn lbs, since 2019, the Vinyl Institute (VI) reports. This growth was due to an increase in post-industrial PVC recycling, but post-consumer volumes decreased over that period. The industry, however, has recently been working to help build up collection capacity of PCR PVC. “Matching supply and demand to provide a consistent stream of material that meets customer needs in a cost-effective way is the biggest chal- lenge facing recycling in general. It is a big chal- lenge that will require significant investments from the entire value chain,” said Jay Thomas, vice-presi- dent of sustainability at the VI and executive director of the vinyl sustainability council.
Vinyl siding The US Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) has received Viability grants from the VI for its Revinylize Recycling Collaborative, which seeks to grow the recycling of PCR rigid vinyl products. VSI ran two small-scale pilot programmes in 2021 and 2022 that collected residential vinyl siding, and in 2023 a scaled-up programme collected more than 500,000 lbs.
VSI hopes that this next-generation programme can be adapted throughout the US. “We have an opportunity to collect large volumes of siding from remodeling projects, as the vinyl siding that was installed beginning in the 1950s and ’60s is reaching its end-of-life,” said Matt Dobson, vice-president of VSI.
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IMAGE: VINYLPLUS
IMAGE: VINYLPLUS
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