NEWS
Project to recycle PSU
products Solvay said it is partnering Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials (MCAM) in a project for recycling medical products made from polysulfone. The initiative focuses on used medical equipment made using Solvay’s Udel high-performance polysul- fone (PSU) material. Solvay and MCAM are investigat- ing the implementation of logistics for recovery, recycling, and reprocess- ing of Udel PSU medical components, with the aim of recycled material being suitable for reuse in the original applications. The expertise devel- oped by MCAM to wash and mechanically purify waste material will be combined with Solvay’s ability to evaluate the chemistry of the end-of- life polymer, to develop a recycling strategy that will provide customers with materials that fully meet all specifications. �
www.solvay.com �
www.mcam.com
Companies struggle with UK’s plastics tax
The UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax came into force on 1 April amid warnings that many companies are unprepared. A £200 per tonne levy can now be placed on producers or importers of plastic packag- ing if they do not include 30% recycled content. Recycling group Veolia
UK said a survey by YouGov of senior decision makers across retail and manufac- turing businesses found that only 22% had already taken action regarding their plastics packaging. Of those, 66% have reduced the amount of unnecessary or avoidable plastic packag- ing, 58% now use recycled content, 54% have changed the packaging design to make it more recyclable and 39% have chosen alternative materials to plastic for their packaging. “The UK’s Plastic Packag-
ing Tax is the right way to start getting businesses to push sustainability up the agenda, but it needs to go further,” said Gavin Grave-
Above: The UK tax affects packaging from 1 April 2022
son, Veolia Northern Europe Zone Senior Executive Vice President. “A tax escalator would make choosing to incorporate recycled content in packaging both economically and environ- mentally preferable to using virgin materials.”
Another survey conduct- ed by the British Plastics Federation (BPF) found that less than a third of compa- nies feel that they fully understand the tax. It said areas of uncertainty include the evidence they are required to submit and
when companies are eligible for tax credits. There is also uncertainty around calculating the amount of tax liable and other issues. The BPF has launched an online tool, based on knowledge provided by the consultancy firm EY, that gives companies a simple way to work out whether or not their products qualify for the plastics packaging tax. The tool is available for free and is available on the BPF website. �
www.veolia.co.uk �
www.bpf.co.uk
RecyClass issues polystyrene protocol
The latest RecyClass protocol covers post-consumer polystyrene pots used for yoghurt
The RecyClass initiative in Europe has published its Recyclability Evaluation Protocol for Polystyrene Containers, covering post-consumer polystyrene pots used for yoghurt and other food and beverage products. The protocol aims to guarantee the mechanical recyclability of polystyrene packaging, while maintaining protec- tion properties, ensuring polystyrene recycling process efficiency and
6 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | March/April 2022
encouraging innovation, according to RecyClass. RecyClass said the document details laboratory testing methodology and represents – as accurately as possible – how the polystyrene mechanical recycling process should work at an industrial scale, allowing polystyrene containers to be recycled into applications with a higher value. �
https://recyclass.eu
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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