PVC | RECYCLING
down slightly from the 44,000 tonnes reported in 2022 using RecoVinyl’s RecoTrace database system, which is a respectable result given Germany’s weak economic performance, especially in the construc- tion sector, impacted by high energy costs, rising costs and a decline in demand and production of window profiles, said Vetter. “In 2023, over two million used plastic windows were placed in the Rewindo nationwide collection and recycling system and did not end up as mixed construction waste,” he said. In Poland, the EPPA continued to develop a PVC
recycling system with the launch in 2023 of the Oknorec PVC window collection and recycling project, which aims to enhance collection process- es for PVC profiles, ensure their proper recycling and minimise waste.
In the pipeline TEPPFA – the European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association – said the restriction on the use of lead and its compounds in PVC, which entered into force in May 2023, will ban the use of lead-contain- ing recyclates from waste PVC profiles in the production of PVC pipes, following a 36-month transition period that ends on 29 May 2026. The regulation, adopted by the European Commission member states and the European Parliament, prohibits PVC articles containing lead from being placed on the market if the concentration of lead is equal to or greater than 0.1% by weight of the PVC material. A ten-year derogation until 29 May 2033 has
been granted to rigid PVC products such as profiles and pipes. Following a 36-month transition period lead-containing recyclates with a concentra- tion of lead lower than 1.5% from rigid PVC profiles and sheet have to be used in a closed loop. As a result it means that from 29 May 2026 onwards, only lead-containing recyclate from rigid PVC pipes can be used for the production of new pipes.
Left: Lead- containing
recyclates are subject to EU restrictions on their use in PVC pipes
No derogation was granted to lead-containing
recyclate from soft PVC applications. Manufacturers using rigid lead-containing PVC
recyclates in new products must comply with a mandatory certification of origin of the rPVC used as well as a mandatory product marking. The new regulation does not cover the use of
lead-free recyclates from profiles and pipes. For more than a decade, profiles and pipes use a calcium zinc-based stabiliser. Lead-free recyclate from profiles and pipes can be used for new non-pressure rigid PVC pipes without any restric- tion, but subject to product standard specifications. TEPPFA members already set-up end-of-life
rPVC pipe collection schemes more than 30 years ago in some EU Member States such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Denmark. Due to the useful life time of the rPVC pipes from 50 up to 100 years, the volumes collected were mainly limited to installation waste. TEPPFA’s activities to support an increase in
rPVC collection as the restriction comes into force include a project to open up non-pressure product standards for an increased use of recycled content without compromising on quality, performance,
IMAGE: VINYLPLUS
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