Big interview How the technology works C


ompared to most packaging recycled for example, toys may include multiple types of plastic and other materials.


Which may be very securely put together. Which prevents their recycling with packaging, and also via most dedicated hard plastic recycling systems, which are focused typically on large, single polymer items.


Recycle to Read utilises a new leading-edge


processing system which overcomes the issues, to achieve separation of plastics by individual polymer to over 98% purity, meeting end of waste criteria in the UK for the main polymer types used in toys and rigid plastic consumer goods (e.g. PP, PE, PS & ABS). PVC and other hard to recycle and less common plastics are also separated and recycled – with a target overall recycling rate of >95% for toys collected by Recycle to Read. This is achieved by shredding the toys up to


three times (<50mm, <25mm and 8-10mm), to help separate the different polymers and other material components (e.g. metals). Water is used to separate the shredded plastics by relative density, during multiple water separation phases. First the shredded plastics are separated into two general groups of less dense plastic (e.g. PP) and denser plastics (e.g. ABS). These two streams of still part mixed plastics are shredded smaller and then enter a more advanced ‘purification’ stage of separation in water (which is where one of the two key innovations in the process


it also encourages children to see the value that unwanted toys still have. It highlights that these unwanted toys should be swapped, or given to friends, or donated to charities, and only if they are broken should they be dropped into a recycling bin to be recycled into great new things. It’s a process we call ‘swap, pop, and drop.’ says David Ingham, Waste and Resources Programme Director, Wastebuster. With Smart Toys and Games now on


board as the campaign’s founding member, the Recycle to Read programme has been enabled to expand its focus into STEM learning, utilising the team’s expertise to bring the science of sustainability to life in classrooms across the world. Through the company’s founding involvement in the programme, Recycle to Read is now on a recruitment drive within the toy sector, calling on the UK and international toy space to join the programme to take the concept of a sustainable toy industry to the next level.


Recycle to Read into the future The campaign already has plans for a long and agenda-setting future within the toy sector. Its research element is developing a


lies), which allows for each different polymer type to be finally separated to >98% purity. Once separated the second innovation is the addition of a novel non-chemical additive during compounding/melting of any of the types of recovered plastics, into pellets for sale (<2% of final pellet mass). This additive performs three important functions. First it can tailor the Material Flow Index (MFI) of the recycled pellet (between 0.5 to 7, rather than 2-3 the natural average flow index for the mixed source recycled polymer), which is important to enable the plastics to be used in a wider range of new moulding applications. Secondly it can reduce the temperature the plastics need to be heated to reach the correct flow rate for different moulding applications, further reducing energy consumption related to use of this recycled pellet, and helping protect the polymer structure from heat damage, which can aid meeting production specifications and help the polymers be recycled more times. Thirdly the additive targets the original ‘master batch’ plastic material added to colour the original based plastics (again ~2% by mass of master batch is added to the original plastics similar to the additive). The original master batch colouring is dispersed/diluted within the molecular structure of 98% of the other base plastic. This allows the naturally dark grey recycled pellet to be taken back to near white colour, and the addition of a new masterbatch


new infrastructure for recycling plastic toys by co-collecting with hard plastics, via a new Household Waste and Recycling Centres scheme, alongside school and retailer collections, while further research is being carried out into the potential of RPET plush recycling, and use of recycled materials in new toy applications, to provide a fully closed loop solution for members. First and foremost, the Recycle to Read


programme aims to demonstrate how toys are a force for good. Although toys count for only a small percentage of the overall waste being generated, we believe they are powerful at communicating the message of reuse, as naturally children grow up, so finding good new homes for toys is integral to the concept of ‘toys for life’. Recycle to Read is promoting the core message that used toys ‘do have value and can be re-loved’ while even those that are broken can ‘be used to care for the environment.’ To highlight the reuse message,


Wastebuster will be launching a World [Toy] Swap Day in 2022, to ‘get toys on the move’ by providing a platform to get unwanted toys swapped through schools and community groups and donated to charities, to raise funds for worthy causes.


colour to achieve specific pantone matching, from a light to dark range. Which again further extends the range of products that can be produced with these recycled plastics. The purity/quality, and colouring and moulding versatility of the final recycled polymers help ensure high specification uses/ markets for the recycled plastics can be found in markets local to processing, reducing onward transport impacts and improving material traceability within supply chains. By using water to separate plastics instead


of near-infrared laser identification, the other commonly used mechanical recycling technique, there are no issues with separating black plastics which absorb laser scanner light. The water separation process is also less energy intensive than near-infrared laser identification, avoiding the use of compressed air and other electronic systems. The processing system also costs less in both a capex and opex basis than near-infrared laser identification facilities, improving the economics of the recycling process and the ability to expand processing capacity in the UK and other territories. Which is also supported by the system’s ability to process a very broad range of plastic items (toys included), helping ensure sufficient feedstocks of material can be secured/competed for from commercial and municipal waste streams, to help assure feedstock supply to support new facilities in the UK and new territories.


The event will be sponsored by children’s toy companies, brands, and publishers. Wastebuster is already in talks with major international children’s tv channels and broadcast networks to support promotion. ‘’Engaging children with the idea of passing on their toys to give another child joy, is a precursor to them understanding the material value of toys in a circular economy.’’ said David Ingham, Waste and Resources Programme Director, Wastebuster. This intervention, combined with regional trials of potential collections infrastructure and recycling technologies, is part of a step- change movement offered by the programme for the toy industry.


The belief being that insights gained from the programme will support international replication or development of toy recycling programmes internationally, that will recognise and respond to local systemic challenges with an integrally adaptive approach.


This is more than a CSR investment, this is an investment into a whole generation, by giving children the tools and mindset they need to help shape a more sustainable future, and an investment in building a sustainable future for the industry.


Jan/Feb 2022 | toy news | 23


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