e-Live® Presentation
December 18, 2009
Plastics Recycling:
Processes, Opportunities and Issues
Dr. Adrian Merrington
Senior Associate Scientist and Assistant Professor
Michigan Molecular Institute
Midland, MI 48640-2696
(989) 832-5555 ext. 638
merrington@mmi.org
www.mmi.org
Welcome
• SPE e-Live® on-line audience
• SPE mid-Michigan Section
• MMI monthly technical meeting attendees
Background - MMI
• MMI is an independent, not-for-profit research and educational
organization, conducting both basic and applied research in
polymer science and technology.
• Collaborators in Plastics Recycling
– American Commodities
– Chrysler
– Dow
– DuPont
– Eastman Chemical
– Midland Compounding and Consulting
– Recycling Projects International
– Resource Recovery Corporation
– Strategic Materials
– University of Florida
– Vehicle Recycling Partnership
– Visteon
“Recycle” Icons
Source: http://www.resourcefulschools.org, 2008
Not “Recycle” Icons
• “The only information in the symbol is the number inside the
arrows, which indicates the general class of resin used to make the
container.”
• “The arrows are meaningless”.
• The attorneys general of 11 states objected to “false and
misleading claims about plastic recyclability.”
• “The recent settlement that they reached with the American
Plastics Council paves the way for a first-ever definition of what
claims can or cannot be made about plastic recycling and
recyclability.”
Source: http://www.ecologycenter.org, 2008
Real Recycle Icons
Real Recycle Icons
Recyclable (USA) Green DOT (Germany)
Recycle Now (UK) Recyclable (EU)
Contains Recycled
Compostable (UK)
Materials (USA)
Plastics Production and Recovery
35
30
25
Million Tons
20 Production
15
10
5 Recovery
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: Municipal Solid Waste in the United States, 2007 Facts and Figures,
US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste
State Recycling Rates
Source: BioCycle, 2004
Recycling Rate Calculation
• US EPA Source: http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/recmeas/index.htm
– Presenting a recycling measurement tool that does all of the
following:
• Ensures fair comparisons of recycling rates among states and local
governments.
• Produces useful information for planning and decision-making.
• Provides accurate, up-to-date numbers for market development.
• Allows for easy data collection from the private sector.
• Saves you time and effort.
– 164 Page Document
• Australia Source: Plastics News, November 17, 2008
– Australia Debates True Plastics Recycling Rates
Quotes from GPEC 2007
• SPE’s annual “Global Plastic’s Environmental Conference”
– Recycling, Bio-based and Biodegradable
– Dr. Seetha Coleman-Kammula , NextLife, LLC
• For every 100 lbs of product manufactured, we create about
3,200 lbs of waste.
• 6% of the materials we extract from the earth are turned into
durable products. The other 94% is waste within 6 months.
• 87% of the plastics produced are landfilled within 8 weeks.
Why Not Recycle Plastics?
• The properties of recycled glass, steel or aluminum are essentially
equivalent to those of virgin but this is not true with plastics
– Properties are diminished by:
• Heat histories
• Chain scission
• Action of additives
• Mixed plastics - incompatible blends
• Economics
– Virgin plastics production is still relatively cheap
– Collection, cleaning, separation, melt processing, etc. to recycle
plastics is costly
What is a Plastic?
PLASTIC (ASTM D883-54T)
A material that contains as an essential ingredient an organic
substance of large molecular weight, is solid in its finished
state and, at some stage in its manufacture or in its processing
into finished articles, can be shaped by flow.
Additives or
Compounding Constituents
• Common additives
• Antiblocking agent
• Antifogging agent
• Antioxidant
• Antistatic agent
• Blowing agent
• Colorant
• Coupling agent
• Cross-linking agent
• Curing agent
• Filler
• Flame retardant
• Heat stabilizer
• Hydrolytic stabilizer
• Impact modifier
• Lubricant
• Pigment
• Plasticizer
• Preservative
• Release agent
• Thermal stabilizer
• UV stabilizer
• Viscosity depressant
• etc., etc., etc.
Additives or
Compounding Constituents
• Common additives
• Antiblocking agent
• Antifogging agent Cotton
Wood flour
• Antioxidant
Wood pulp
• Antistatic agent Shell flour
• Blowing agent Keratin
Rayon
• Colorant
Nylon
• Coupling agent Coal
• Cross-linking agent Asbestos
Mica
• Curing agent
Quartz
• Filler Glass
• Flame retardant Clay
Calcium silicate
• Heat stabilizer
Calcium carbonate
• Hydrolytic stabilizer Alumina trihydrate
• Impact modifier Aluminum powder
Aramid
• Lubricant
Bronze powder
• Pigment Talc
• Plasticizer Carbon black
Carbon fiber
• Preservative
• Release agent
• Thermal stabilizer
• UV stabilizer
• Viscosity depressant
• etc., etc., etc.
Additives or
Compounding Constituents
• Common additives
• Antiblocking agent
• Antifogging agent Cotton
Wood flour
• Antioxidant
Wood pulp
• Antistatic agent Shell flour
• Blowing agent Keratin
Rayon
• Colorant
Nylon
• Coupling agent Coal
• Cross-linking agent Asbestos
Mica
• Curing agent
Quartz Flakes
• Filler Glass Fibers
• Flame retardant Clay Spheres
Calcium silicate
• Heat stabilizer
Calcium carbonate
• Hydrolytic stabilizer Alumina trihydrate
• Impact modifier Aluminum powder
Aramid
• Lubricant
Bronze powder
• Pigment Talc
• Plasticizer Carbon black
Carbon fiber
• Preservative
• Release agent
• Thermal stabilizer
• UV stabilizer
• Viscosity depressant
• etc., etc., etc.
Additives or
Compounding Constituents
• Common additives
• Antiblocking agent
• Antifogging agent Cotton
Wood flour
• Antioxidant
Wood pulp
• Antistatic agent Shell flour
• Blowing agent Keratin
Rayon
• Colorant
Nylon
• Coupling agent Coal
• Cross-linking agent Asbestos
Mica
• Curing agent
Quartz Flakes
• Filler Glass Fibers
• Flame retardant Clay Spheres
Calcium silicate
• Heat stabilizer
Calcium carbonate
• Hydrolytic stabilizer Alumina trihydrate
• Impact modifier Aluminum powder
Aramid
• Lubricant
Bronze powder
• Pigment Talc
• Plasticizer Carbon black
Carbon fiber
• Preservative
• Release agent
• Thermal stabilizer Size
• UV stabilizer Aspect ratio
• Viscosity depressant Etc.
• etc., etc., etc.
Additives or
Compounding Constituents
• Common additives
• Antiblocking agent
• Antifogging agent Cotton
Wood flour
• Antioxidant
Wood pulp
• Antistatic agent Shell flour
• Blowing agent Keratin
Rayon
• Colorant
Nylon
• Coupling agent Coal
• Cross-linking agent Asbestos
Mica
• Curing agent
Quartz Flakes
• Filler Glass Fibers
• Flame retardant Clay Spheres
Calcium silicate
• Heat stabilizer
Calcium carbonate
• Hydrolytic stabilizer Alumina trihydrate
• Impact modifier Aluminum powder
Aramid
• Lubricant
Bronze powder
• Pigment Talc
• Plasticizer Carbon black
Carbon fiber
• Preservative
• Release agent
• Thermal stabilizer Size
• UV stabilizer Surface Treatments Aspect ratio
• Viscosity depressant Etc. Etc.
• etc., etc., etc.
Pop Bottles Versus Ketchup Bottles
• Monolayer • Multilayer
• Typically 5 layers of alternating PET
• PET
(Polyethylene Terephthalate) and
EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol)
What “Plastic” am I Trying to Recycle?
• Single or multi-layered
• PET or PET/EVOH
• May be different from producer to producer
• Production method
• Mass ABS
• Emulsion ABS
• Compounded ABS
• Additives
• Filler
• Paint
• UV stabilizers
• How do I handle these?
• Do I need to remove them?
Generation of Plastic Waste
• Post-Industrial • Post-Consumer
• Resin manufacturer • Packaging
• Fabricator • Housewares
• Compounder or reprocessor • Toys
• Packager, assembler, • Construction
distributor • Appliances
• Novelties, disposables
• Footware
• Transportation
• Furniture
• Wire and cable
Production vs. Recycle USA
Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov (2007)
How to Handle Plastic Waste
• Ban the use of plastics
• “Greenpeace”
• Science 261 (1993) 152
• Bury them in landfills
• USA vs Japan
• Canada to Michigan
• Burn them in municipal incinerators
• USA vs Japan
• Pyrolyze them to industrial chemicals
or fuels
• Recycle them to useful products
Plastics Recycling
• Primary Recycling
• Replace virgin resins
– Same or similar types of product at a reduced price
– Pop bottles
• Secondary Recycling
• Use in applications not typical of virgin resins
– Less demanding properties, lower cost
– Plastic wood
– Filler
• Tertiary Recycling
• Recovery of chemicals
• Quaternary Recycling
• Recovery of energy
Concerns for the Plastics Recycler
• Politics and legislation
• Public relations
• Cost
• Economics
• Technology
• Product
Politics
• Legislation
– State, federal and international law
– California and Germany
– Producer responsibility, take-back laws
• Special interest groups
– American Chemical Council: Plastics Division
• http://www.americanchemistry.com/Plastics/
– Greenpeace
• http://www.greenpeace.org/
– Campaign Against The Plastic Plague
• http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-goals.html
• Is buying a used car recycling?
Public Relations
• Coke vs. Pepsi
– First to use recycled bottles
– Not use of recycled plastics in 2003
– Coke Recycling plant opened in 2008
– Sponsoring recycle collection bins around the country 2008
• IBM, Hewlett Packard
– Recycler of the year
• Mercedes (1997)
– First totally recyclable car
– What does this mean?
– Would you choose your $40K car based on its recyclability?
Cost
• Purchase
• Collection
• Storage, warehousing
• Consolidation
• Transportation
• Sorting
• Separation
• Washing
• Drying
• Compounding
• Melting
• Pelletizing
Economics: Which Resins to Pursue?
Diamonds
Gold
Catalytic Metals
Dollars per unit
Copper
Aluminum
PC
Engineering Plastics
Steel Recovery Cost
PET
Glass
Market Value HDPE
Paper
PS
PVC
PP
Retained Performance Value
D. Nutter, G.E. Plastics, Pittsfield MA reproduced in J. Schiers, Polymer Recycling, Wiley, Victoria, Australia, 1998
Economics
• Cost to recycle 15-40 cents / lb
1.25
Virgin
Price per pound / $
1.00
40¢
25¢
0.75
Recycle
0.5
March April May June
Date / Months
• Would you pay more for a product using recycle?
Source: What goes up … now coming down hard, Plastics News, November 24, 2008
Technology
• Is the technology really available?
• Is it economic to use with a given resin? Source: sankojapan.co.jp, 2008
– Solvolysis
– Pyrolysis
– Stabilization
– Compatibilization
– Blending
– Hydrogenation
– Melt reprocessing
– Chemical modification
– Thermoset recycling
Recycling Industry Sectors
• Bottle
• Automotive
• Electronics
• Packaging
• White Goods
• Construction
Bottle Recycling by Type
Source: R.W. Beck, Inc., 2004
Bottle Recycling Rates
• Milk Bottles HDPE • Pop Bottles PET
100% 100%
50% 50%
0% 0%
1995 2000 2005 2010 1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: Container Recycling Institute, 2006
PET recycling rate improves The PET bottle recycling rate rose for the fourth straight year to 24.6 (2007)
Source: Plastics News, December 4, 2008
Pop Bottle Recycling in Rates By
State
100%
50%
Michigan California
New York USA
0%
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Source: bottlebill.org, 2008
Bottle Bill States
• www.bottlebill.org
– 10¢ states
• Michigan
– 5¢ states
• California (10¢ over 24 oz)
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Iowa
Source: bottlebill.org, 2008
• Maine (15¢ wine and liquor)
• Massachusetts
• New York
• Oregon (2¢ refillable)
• Vermont (15¢ liquor)
• Artificially subsidizes bottle recycling in bottle bill states
PET – Problems (Chain Scission)
Source: J. Leider, 1981
HDPE - Problems
Contaminant Effect on Recycled HDPE
PP Unfused lumps, weld-lines, weakness, delamination
PET Unfused lumps, plugs melt delivery channels
Metal fragments Plugs injection nozzle, catalyzes polymer oxidation
Paper fibers “Blow outs” in blow-molded bottles
Soil, dirt Gels, inclusions and stress concentrations
Pigments Undesirable color variations
Milk Rancid odor due to butyric acid lipolysis products
Plasticization of polymer lowering its impact strength
Motor oil Residual odor problems
Hydroperoxides Initiation of thermal and photo-oxidative reactions
Use of Plastics Recovered from
Bottles
Use of Plastics Recovered from
Bottles
, 2004
Containers per person per year
PET Bottle Recycling
20
Beverage Bottles Per Unit
Not Recycled
15
Source: Container Recycling
10 Institute, 2006
Recycled
5
0
1990 1995 2000 2005
By Weight in 2004
Source: American Plastics
Council, 2004
Automotive Recycling
• Automotive recycling is a mature industry
– But not because of plastics recycling
– Steel, glass, etc.
• Recycle-content mandates
• Cherry pick
• Shred
– Separate
– Use mixed
Recycling a Selectively Chosen
Plastic
• Look for big parts
• Easily identifiable
• Easily recovered
• Example: Car bumpers
From What Material is a Car
Bumper Made?
• Steel
• Polyurethane
Year Cost
• Xenoy (PC/PBT)
• TPO
TPO? Really?
• Post-Industrial • Post-Consumer
• Paint • And…
– How do you remove it? • Mixed resins
– How many layers of – Different TPOs, etc.
paint?
– Do I have to remove it? • Aftermarket
• Additives – PP replacements, etc.
• Filler • Bondo
• Manufacturing process • Bumper stickers
• Dead animal parts
• etc., etc.
Recycling a Part – Minivan Door
ABS 71.5%
PP 26.5%
PE 0.5%
PET 0.2%
PVC 0.2%
PUR 0.1%
Unknown 1.0%
Density Separation
r1.2
PP(A) 21.2% ABS 71.4% PET 0.2%
PE 0.6% PP(B) 5.3% PVC 0.2%
Unknown 0.4% Unknown 0.3% PUR 0.1%
Unknown 0.3%
Subtotal 22.2% Subtotal 77.0% Subtotal 0.8%
PP/PE/Unknown ABS/PP/Unknown
(96/3/1) (96/3/1)
Can be Can be
compatibilized compatibilized Landfill Source: Vehicle Recycling
with SIS with SIS
Partnership, 2002
Automotive Shredder Residue
• Shred the car
• Remove steel by magnets
• ASR is the rest
– Thermoplastics
– Thermosets
– Fluids
– Heavy metals
• What do you do with ASR?
– Separate?
– Use in asphalt, cement?
– Landfill?
Pop Bottle Beetle
Alternative “Green” Options to
Traditional Recycling
• Designing for recycling
• Part re-use
• Material re-use, sustainability
• Material reduction
• Biodegradable polymers
Designing for Recycle
• Use compatible plastics or similar plastics
• For example
• Original car door
– ABS panel
– PU foam in arm-rest
– Rigid PU window handle
– PVC coverings
– Nylon cogs and gears
• New car door
– PP panel
– PP arm-rest
– Filled PP window handle or electronic window control with PP
buttons
– Nylon cogs and gears
Part Re-use
• Automotive
– Scrap yard
– Rebuilt starter
– Tire retreads
– Antique cars, motorcycles, etc.
• Other Appliances
– Washing machines and dryers
– Computer used parts
– E-bay
• Packaging
Material Reuse / Sustainability
• Life time of HDPE
Material Reuse / Sustainability
• Life time of HDPE
Material Reduction
• Use less packaging in total
• Use fewer different types of packaging material
Biodegradable Polymers
• Material degrades with
– UV exposure
– Heat
– Moisture
– Time
• Renewable
• Sustainable
Source: Natureworks PLC, 2006
Recent Topics
• E-scrap (2003-2006 )
Source: http://www.e-scrapnews.com/
• E-waste Responsibility Laws Taking Country State by State
Source: Plastics News, October 20, 2008
• Rising Costs of Plastics ( )
Source: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/RisingCostsPinchRubbermaidPlastics.aspx
• Energy Recovery (2004-2008½?)
Source: http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/doc.asp?CID=1588&DID=6032
State of the Recycling Industry
• Recycling Rallies, Green Optimism Grows
Source: Plastics News, October 20, 2008
• World-wide Recycled-Plastic Trade Plummets
Source: Plastics News, November 17, 2008
Conclusions
• Some plastics can be recycled
• Some plastics can be recycled economically
• Some plastics can be recycled environmentally
• But not all
And Finally….
• Thanks for listening.
• Thanks to SPE for giving me the
opportunity to present here.
• plasticsresource.com
• allplasticbottles.org
• plastics-car.com
• Any questions?