MARKETS | PVC
Right: Progress report: More than 813,000 tonnes of PVC waste was recycled in 2022 in the VinylPlus European framework
accepting recycled products.” Other sources of recycled PVC include pipes and fittings, cables, flexible PVC (from flooring, roofing, and others), and other rigid PVC including rigid PVC films.
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
Below: Contractors “skinning” a mechanically attached PVC roof membrane. Sections of the old membrane are cut and rolled into manageable sizes for workers to remove from the roof
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 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. “VinylPlus efforts have made PVC safer, more sustainable, and more circular”, said VinylPlus, “as currently, around a third of PVC waste produced annually in Europe is recycled, and the industry is investing in collection, sorting, extraction and dissolution technologies, as well as chemical recycling technologies in order to identify and manage PVC waste containing legacy additives.”
PCR collection In the US, legacy additives are not the same concern as in Europe; challenges for PVC recycling in the US revolve more around facilitating collec- tion 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,” says Jay Thomas, Vice-Presi- dent of Sustainability at the VI and Executive Director of the Vinyl Sustainability Council. The VI’s new Viability recycling grant program, which is funded by vinyl resin manufacturers, awarded $1.67m to 16 organisations for a variety of advanced and mechanical recycling projects in 2023. The program, which will invest $3m over three years, aims to support the goal of reaching 160m lbs annually of post-consumer recycled vinyl in North America by the end of 2025. Applications for the next round of grants are due in early February 2024.
26 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | January/February 2024
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www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: CFFA
IMAGE: VINYLPLUS
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