INNOVATION | WEEE
PRE: key steps to support circularity of TPP
n Increased collection and sorting of technical plastic parts (TPP) n A consistent legislative environment n Standardised waste management and sorting practices n Harmonised monitoring of substances by recyclers n Sampling and testing methodology to identify substances of concern n Increased traceability n Certification n Increased investments
between the waste management sector and the automotive and E&E industries. But PRE stresses that the legislative framework at the EU and Member States levels must provide solutions in the short term, such as material specific measures enabling separate collection and sorting, leading to higher recycling rates. “Moreover, policymakers must allow the recy-
cling of technical plastic parts for appliances and products whose material characteristics might no longer be in line under the current legislation,” said PRE, referring to the complex and changing regulatory situation regarding legacy additives and substances in the WEEE and ELV plastics waste streams. “Unwanted substances can represent a severe constraint to the quality, as well as the monetary value of recyclates. Whereas, the main objective of plastic recyclers in Europe is to place on the market high-quality output materials, destined for the production of high-quality products. At today’s industrial level, the available technology allows to reprocess materials and purify plastic streams to concentration levels that are hardly detectable by the current testing systems.
Left: CloseWEEE process scheme for monitor casings
Right:
CloseWEEE process scheme for SDA/ICT
“Priority must be given to a stable legislative
environment which assesses and provides policies in accordance with the state-of-art technological and testing capacity. Otherwise, ELV and WEEE will be shipped abroad, recycled under lower stand- ards and reimported back to Europe in the form of contaminated final products of poorer quality than the material recycled in the EU.” Recycling companies need regulatory certainty
in order to plan investments in much-needed new capacity. “Without a stable legislative environment, investments to expand and strengthen waste management operations and recycling processes within Europe will be put on hold or even diverted to other markets,” said PRE. “The progressive substitution of substances of concern from plastic production is the only circular approach to technical plastic parts. EU policies allowing for specific concentration levels of these substances, feasible in today’s industrial setting for the recycled output specifically, are therefore welcome and necessary.” The EU’s WEEE and Ecodesign16 Directives have a central role to play in the further develop- ment of separation and sorting of different plastic waste types. The Ecodesign Directive and Ecolabel Regulation17 provide guidelines on how to improve the recyclability and reusability of most products as they are designed and produced. “Older articles placed on the market under a previous legislative framework may contain substances that are today classified under CLP18, restricted under Reach, or have been included in the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regula- tion19. Measures shall progressively be implement- ed by the relevant authorities, allowing for a transition from a linear to a circular model. Never- theless, legislation must consider the long lifespan
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PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | March/April 2019
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
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